Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

शुक उवाच । ब्रह्मचर्येण चेन्मोक्षस्तत्षण्ढानां सदा भवेत् । गृहस्थाश्रमिणां चेत्स्यात्तत्सर्वं मुच्यते जगत्

Transliteration

śuka uvāca | brahmacaryeṇa cenmokṣastatṣaṇḍhānāṃ sadā bhavet | gṛhasthāśramiṇāṃ cetsyāttatsarvaṃ mucyate jagat

Translation

శుకుడు పలికెను—కేవలం బ్రహ్మచర్యమాత్రమే మోక్షకారణమైతే, అది నిత్యం నపుంసకులకే దక్కేది. కేవలం గృహస్థాశ్రమమాత్రమే మోక్షమైతే, సమస్త జగత్తే విముక్తమయ్యేది.

Word by Word

• शुकः: Śuka
• शुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy (brahmacarya)
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: 'if')

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• षण्ढानाम्: of eunuchs/impotent men
• षण्ढानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्ढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• भवेत्: would be/should occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• गृहस्थाश्रमिणाम्: of those in the householder stage
• गृहस्थाश्रमिणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ-आश्रमिन् (प्रातिपदिक); समासः: गृहस्थ + आश्रमिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: 'if')

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• मुच्यते: is liberated/released
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śuka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching assembly: Śuka, serene and austere, speaks with incisive logic; listeners include householders and ascetics, each confronted with the limits of identity-based claims to liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Śuka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No single external life-condition guarantees mokṣa; liberation requires deeper realization and righteous living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named in this verse; it is part of a doctrinal dialogue embedded in the Mahātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse argues against simplistic formulas for liberation.