Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

विविच्य नंदभद्रस्तत्सारं मोक्षेषु जगृहे । कृषिं केचित्प्रशंसंति नंदभद्रो न मन्यते

Transliteration

vivicya naṃdabhadrastatsāraṃ mokṣeṣu jagṛhe | kṛṣiṃ kecitpraśaṃsaṃti naṃdabhadro na manyate

Translation

ବିବେକ କରି ନନ୍ଦଭଦ୍ର ମୋକ୍ଷକୁ ହିଁ ସାର ଭାବେ ଗ୍ରହଣ କଲେ। କେହି କେହି କୃଷିକୁ ପ୍ରଶଂସା କରନ୍ତି, କିନ୍ତୁ ନନ୍ଦଭଦ୍ର ତାହାକୁ ପରମ ହିତ ବୋଲି ମାନନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• vivicya: having discerned
• vivicya: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√vic (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable gerund)

• naṃdabhadraḥ: Nandabhadra
• naṃdabhadraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (proper noun)

• tat: of that
• tat: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• sāram: essence
• sāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• mokṣeṣu: in liberations / in the means to liberation
• mokṣeṣu: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• jagṛhe: he accepted, he chose
• jagṛhe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• kṛṣim: agriculture, farming
• kṛṣim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kecit: some (people)
• kecit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun: 'some')

• praśaṃsanti: praise
• praśaṃsanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√śaṃs (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदी

• naṃdabhadraḥ: Nandabhadra
• naṃdabhadraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• manyate: thinks, considers
• manyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandabhadra, calm and austere, listens to villagers praising farming; he gestures toward a Śiva shrine and the path of liberation, holding a staff and waterpot.

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discernment reveals mokṣa as the true essence; worldly occupations are not the highest aim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces Nandabhadra’s value-choice toward liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse points to mokṣa-oriented living rather than occupational praise.