Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 142

Devanagari script

अंतरेण न गच्छेन द्वयोर्ज्वलनलिंगयोः । नाग्न्योर्न विप्रयोश्चैव न दंपत्योर्नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

aṃtareṇa na gacchena dvayorjvalanaliṃgayoḥ | nāgnyorna viprayoścaiva na daṃpatyornṛpottama

Translation

హే నృపోత్తమా! రెండు జ్వలించే అగ్ని-చిహ్నాల మధ్యగా వెళ్లకూడదు; రెండు పవిత్ర అగ్నుల మధ్య కూడా కాదు. ఇద్దరు బ్రాహ్మణుల మధ్య, దంపతుల మధ్య కూడా వెళ్లరాదు.

Word by Word

• अंतरेण: between
• अंतरेण: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अंतरेण (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय/पूर्वसर्गार्थक; अर्थः—‘मध्ये/विना’ (here: between)

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

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• द्वयोः: of two
• द्वयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन

• ज्वलनलिंगयोः: of the two fire-signs (flames)
• ज्वलनलिंगयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वलन (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ज्वलनस्य लिङ्गे)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• अग्न्योः: of two fires
• अग्न्योः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• विप्रयोः: of two Brahmins
• विप्रयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• दंपत्योः: of husband and wife
• दंपत्योः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्पती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री (युग्मार्थ), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (उत्तमः नृपः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Respect for sacred presences and human bonds is dharma; one avoids actions that symbolically ‘divide’ what should not be divided.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; it is a general rule of reverential conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral injunction: do not walk between two fires (especially sacred fires), between brāhmaṇas, or between spouses.