Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मठोऽयं सुशिलाबद्धो नैव खातं प्रजायते । तुंगत्वान्न प्रवेशः स्यादुपायैर्विविधैः परैः

Transliteration

maṭho'yaṃ suśilābaddho naiva khātaṃ prajāyate | tuṃgatvānna praveśaḥ syādupāyairvividhaiḥ paraiḥ

Translation

“ଏହି ମଠ ସୁସଜ୍ଜିତ ପଥରରେ ଦୃଢ଼ଭାବେ ବନ୍ଧା; ଏଥିରେ ସେନ୍ଧ ହେବ ନାହିଁ। ଉଚ୍ଚତା ହେତୁ, ଅନେକ ପ୍ରକାର ଉପାୟ କଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ପ୍ରବେଶ ସମ୍ଭବ ନୁହେଁ।”

Word by Word

• मठः: the monastery
• मठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative (this)

• सु: well/very
• सु: Sambandha (Prefix/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद-निपात; intensifier (well/very)

• शिला: stone
• शिला: Sambandha (Instrumental relation in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्धे (पूर्वपद), एकवचन; stone as prior member

• बद्धः: firmly built/fastened
• बद्धः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bandh (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सुशिलाबद्धः = bound/fastened with good stones

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• खातम्: a dug opening/pit
• खातम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khāta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: √khan (धातु) + क्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; dug-out (a pit/opening)

• प्रजायते: arises
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; Present indicative (arises/comes into being)

• तुंगत्वात्: due to (its) height
• तुंगत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṅgatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन; Ablative singular (because of height)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• प्रवेशः: entry
• प्रवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• स्यात्: would be (possible)
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञा), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Optative (would be/should be possible)

• उपायैः: by means
• उपायैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (by means)

• विविधैः: various
• विविधैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; agrees with उपायैः (various)

• परैः: other/extra
• परैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; agrees with उपायैः (other/extraordinary)

Speaker

Narrator quoting the schemer’s inner speech (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A towering stone monastery with tightly fitted masonry rises above; the antagonist looks up, frustrated, as ladders, digging tools, and other ‘methods’ appear futile in imagination.

Characters & Entities

• Maṭha (monastery)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred institutions are to be protected; when dharma is strong (symbolized by firm stonework), adharma finds no entry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified; the focus is the maṭha as a protected sacred space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive of obstacles to intrusion.