Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

सबलः कनकत्यागाद्रूप्यत्यागेन मानुषः

Transliteration

sabalaḥ kanakatyāgādrūpyatyāgena mānuṣaḥ

Translation

தங்கத்தைத் துறந்தால் மனிதன் வலிமை பெறுவான்; வெள்ளியைத் துறந்தாலும் மனிதனுக்கு உறுதி மற்றும் ஆற்றல் பெருகும்.

Word by Word

• सबलः: with strength; strong
• सबलः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कनक-त्यागात्: from renouncing gold
• कनक-त्यागात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनक (प्रातिपदिक) + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कनकस्य त्यागः; तस्मात्)

• रूप्य-त्यागेन: by renouncing silver
• रूप्य-त्यागेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप्य (प्रातिपदिक) + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रूप्यस्य त्यागः)

• मानुषः: a human being
• मानुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from adhyāya context: Brahma–Nārada Saṃvāda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee places gold and silver into a donation vessel before a shrine; priests and pilgrims witness; the donor appears lighter and composed, suggesting strength born of detachment.

Characters & Entities

• Kanaka (gold)
• Rūpya (silver)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Detachment from precious metals is praised as a source of inner strength and moral firmness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya, though this line itself teaches general vrata-ethics rather than naming a tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vrata-like restraint: renouncing (tyāga) gold and silver as part of disciplined religious living.