Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

निर्दया ये प्रशोष्यंति मतिस्तेषां न शाश्वती । चतुर्भिः सहितं मर्त्या विवाहविधिना तु ये

Transliteration

nirdayā ye praśoṣyaṃti matisteṣāṃ na śāśvatī | caturbhiḥ sahitaṃ martyā vivāhavidhinā tu ye

Translation

ผู้ใดไร้เมตตาจนทำให้ผู้อื่นเหี่ยวแห้ง ปัญญาอันมั่นคงย่อมไม่ดำรงอยู่กับเขา และเหล่ามนุษย์ผู้ทำการสมรสตามพิธีวิวาหะ ร่วมพร้อมกับสี่…

Word by Word

• निर्दयाः: merciless (people)
• निर्दयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्दय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• प्रशोष्यन्ति: dry up/wither
• प्रशोष्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मतिः: understanding/mind
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• शाश्वती: lasting/permanent
• शाश्वती: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (मतिः)

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Sahakarana/Instrument (सह/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• सहितम्: accompanied/associated
• सहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सह्/सह धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); विशेषण

• मर्त्या: by a mortal/man
• मर्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विवाह-विधिना: by the marriage rite
• विवाह-विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विवाहस्य विधिः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Narrative voice not explicit (verse appears to continue into the next śloka; incomplete statement here)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīlarūpa-related tīrtha/rite context (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a pilgrim community near a shrine; a stern sage warns that cruelty dries up wisdom, while dharmic householders prepare a rite with restraint and compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Vivāha (marriage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruelty erodes stable moral intelligence; dharma requires compassion and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of an ethical passage within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vivāha-vidhi (marriage rule) is referenced, but the statement is incomplete in this śloka and appears to continue beyond the provided excerpt.