Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

सूच्या सूत्रं यथा वस्त्रं संचारयति सूचिका । तद्वत्संसारसूत्रं च वांछयात्मा नयत्यसौ

Transliteration

sūcyā sūtraṃ yathā vastraṃ saṃcārayati sūcikā | tadvatsaṃsārasūtraṃ ca vāṃchayātmā nayatyasau

Translation

ସୁଇ ଯେପରି ବସ୍ତ୍ରରେ ସୂତାକୁ ଚଳାଇ ନେଇଯାଏ, ସେପରି ବାଞ୍ଛାରେ ପ୍ରେରିତ ଆତ୍ମା ସଂସାର-ସୂତ୍ରକୁ ଟାଣି ନେଇଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• सूच्या: with a needle
• सूच्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• सूत्रम्: thread
• सूत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (comparative particle)

• वस्त्रम्: cloth
• वस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• संचारयति: causes to pass through, threads
• संचारयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

• सूचिका: the needle
• सूचिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूचिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तुलनावाचक (adverb: similarly)

• संसारसूत्रम्: the thread of worldly existence
• संसारसूत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य सूत्रम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• वाञ्छया: by desire
• वाञ्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• आत्मा: the self
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नयति: leads, draws
• नयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; दूरवाचक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Bharadvāja (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: a needle passes through cloth pulling a long thread labeled saṁsāra; beside it, a contemplative seeker holds scissors/knife of viveka or jñāna to cut the thread, with a tīrtha-ghat in the background.

Characters & Entities

• saṁsāra
• tṛṣṇā/vāñchā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Craving actively ‘threads’ the soul through worldly entanglement; reducing desire loosens bondage and supports liberation-minded dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides the inner discipline that makes pilgrimage and tīrtha-sevā spiritually fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the implied practice is desire-restraint (indriya-nigraha) as a prerequisite for tīrtha merit.