Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

समः शत्रुषु मित्रेषु समलोष्टाश्मकांचनः । भूत्वा कालं नयिष्यामि यावत्कालस्य संस्थितिः

Transliteration

samaḥ śatruṣu mitreṣu samaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanaḥ | bhūtvā kālaṃ nayiṣyāmi yāvatkālasya saṃsthitiḥ

Translation

శత్రువులపట్ల, మిత్రులపట్ల సమభావంతో ఉండి, మట్టి ముద్ద, రాయి, బంగారాన్ని సమానంగా భావించి, కాలం అనుమతించేంతవరకు ఈ నియమంలో కాలాన్ని గడుపుతాను।

Word by Word

• समः: equal; even-minded
• समः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शत्रुषु: among enemies
• शत्रुषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• मित्रेषु: among friends
• मित्रेषु: Adhikarana (Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• सम-लोष्ट-अश्म-काञ्चनः: seeing clod, stone, and gold as equal
• सम-लोष्ट-अश्म-काञ्चनः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक) + लोष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्म (प्रातिपदिक) + काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘लोष्टे अश्मनि काञ्चने च समः’ (regarding clod, stone, and gold as equal)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त: ‘having become’

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नयिष्यामि: will spend; will pass
• नयिष्यामि: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सीमावाचक): ‘as long as/until’

• कालस्य: of time
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• संस्थितिः: continuance; duration
• संस्थितिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

King (pārthiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king adopts an ascetic demeanor: calm face, simple garments, perhaps seated in meditation; symbolic objects—clod, stone, and gold—lie before him, all regarded equally; enemies and friends stand at a distance, both met with the same gaze.

Characters & Entities

• equanimity (samatā)
• tapas-discipline

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas includes inner renunciation—equanimity and non-attachment—alongside outward vows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The inner disposition described prepares the pilgrim for the grace associated with Śaṅkhatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain samatā (even-mindedness) and vairāgya (non-attachment) as part of one’s austerity.