Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

नैष्ठिकान्नाशनाद्भूयो निवृत्तो रोगवान्सदा । पत्नीबहुत्वे त्वेकस्यां रेतोमोक्षः क्षयी भवेत्

Transliteration

naiṣṭhikānnāśanādbhūyo nivṛtto rogavānsadā | patnībahutve tvekasyāṃ retomokṣaḥ kṣayī bhavet

Translation

నైష్ఠిక సన్యాసిని భోజనం పెట్టుటకు మళ్లీ మళ్లీ వెనుకాడువాడు సదా రోగగ్రస్తుడవుతాడు. అనేక భార్యలు ఉన్నప్పటికీ ఒక్కదానితోనే రేతోమోక్షం చేస్తే క్షయరోగంతో క్షీణిస్తాడు.

Word by Word

• नैष्ठिक-अन्न-आशनात्: from eating consecrated/strict (naiṣṭhika) food
• नैष्ठिक-अन्न-आशनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naiṣṭhika (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक) + āśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तद्धित/विशेषण-पूर्वपद; ‘नैष्ठिकान्नस्य आशनम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, तस्मात् (ablative)

• भूयः: again, further
• भूयः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय/तुलनार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: again/more)

• निवृत्तः: withdrawn/abstaining
• निवृत्तः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni√vṛt (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• रोगवान्: diseased
• रोगवान्: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: roga-vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• पत्नी-बहुत्वे: in the state of having many wives
• पत्नी-बहुत्वे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक) + bahutva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पत्नीनाṃ बहुत्वम्)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• एकस्याम्: in one (wife)
• एकस्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (पत्नी-शब्दस्य)

• रेतो-मोक्षः: emission of semen
• रेतो-मोक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: retas (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रेतसः मोक्षः)

• क्षयी: wasting, consumptive
• क्षयी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣayin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renunciant (naiṣṭhika) stands at a doorway with begging bowl; the householder turns away repeatedly. In a parallel vignette, a wealthy man with many wives is shown weakened and wasting, indicating decline from indulgence and imbalance.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting the disciplined and practicing moderation in household life sustains well-being; neglect and excess rebound as suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied anna-dāna (offering food), especially to the naiṣṭhika (disciplined renunciant), though no procedural detail is given.