Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

शैवोऽपि च स कक्ष्यां तां तां मात्रां हेमसंभवाम् । कथंचिन्मोक्षते भूमौ भोज्ये देवार्चनेऽपि न

Transliteration

śaivo'pi ca sa kakṣyāṃ tāṃ tāṃ mātrāṃ hemasaṃbhavām | kathaṃcinmokṣate bhūmau bhojye devārcane'pi na

Translation

แม้เขาจะมีเครื่องหมายแห่งไศวะ แต่ถุง/กระบอกตวงทองคำที่แนบข้างกาย เขาไม่เคยวางลงบนพื้นเลย ไม่ว่าเวลารับประทานอาหาร หรือแม้ยามบูชาเทพเจ้า

Word by Word

• शैवः: a Śaiva (devotee of Śiva)
• शैवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Concession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/also)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Pronoun (he)

• कक्ष्याम्: a girdle/waistband
• कक्ष्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kakṣyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative (that)

• ताम्: that (same)
• ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; repetition for emphasis (that very)

• मात्राम्: a measure/portion
• मात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular (measure/quantity; here a unit/portion)

• हेम: gold
• हेम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hema (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्धे (पूर्वपद), एकवचन; gold as prior member

• संभवाम्: made of gold
• संभवाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; हेमसंभवाम् = हेम+संभवा (gold-produced/made of gold)

• कथंचित्: somehow
• कथंचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अनिश्चित/कदाचित्-अर्थ; somehow/by some means

• मोक्षते: releases/lets fall
• मोक्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; Present indicative (is released/lets go)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular (on the ground)

• भोज्ये: during eating/at food
• भोज्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular (at meal/food time; in eating)

• देव: of the deity
• देव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्धे (पूर्वपद), एकवचन; of the deity as prior member

• अर्चने: in worship
• अर्चने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; देव+अर्चने = in worship of the deity

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Concession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/also)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śaiva devotee with vibhūti and rudrākṣa keeps a golden pouch tucked at his side; even while eating or offering flowers to a liṅga, his hand instinctively guards it, never placing it on the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External religious identity is insufficient when inner attachment and fear of loss dominate even during worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is character-description within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devārcana (deity worship) is referenced, highlighting the ideal of worship free from worldly clinging.