Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तत्सर्वं तस्करैर्नीतं कोशा दारास्तथा वसु । तस्माद्वद मुनिश्रेष्ठ वैराग्यं मे महत्स्थितम्

Transliteration

tatsarvaṃ taskarairnītaṃ kośā dārāstathā vasu | tasmādvada muniśreṣṭha vairāgyaṃ me mahatsthitam

Translation

ทุกสิ่งนั้นถูกโจรปล้นไปหมด—ทั้งคลังทรัพย์ ภรรยาทั้งหลาย และทรัพย์สมบัติของเรา เพราะฉะนั้น โอ้มุนีผู้ประเสริฐ โปรดกล่าวสั่งสอนเราเถิด; ในใจเราบังเกิดไวรากยะอันยิ่งใหญ่แล้ว

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम् (demonstrative adjective)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तस्करैः: by thieves
• तस्करैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण/कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे (instrumental/agentive)

• नीतम्: was taken away
• नीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे

• कोशाः: treasuries
• कोशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• दाराः: wives
• दाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: likewise/also)

• वसु: wealth
• वसु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति निपातवत् अव्ययप्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• वद: tell (speak)
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: O best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (vocative), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (munīnām śreṣṭhaḥ)

• वैराग्यम्: dispassion
• वैराग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive enclitic)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• स्थितम्: is established / has arisen
• स्थितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भावे/अवस्थायाम्

Speaker

King (continuing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A desolate king, robbed of treasury and household, stands before a serene sage in a forest hermitage, hands folded, eyes downcast; attendants absent, symbols of royalty discarded.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When possessions are stripped away, genuine vairāgya can arise, prompting one to seek higher truth from realized teachers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is identified in this verse; it supports the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative arc by moving the king toward spiritual instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the request is for upadeśa (spiritual instruction) rooted in detachment.