Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

अथ वांछति यो मोक्षं विरक्तो भवसागरात् । निष्कामस्तत्र संतुष्टस्तपस्तप्येत्सुबुद्धिमान्

Transliteration

atha vāṃchati yo mokṣaṃ virakto bhavasāgarāt | niṣkāmastatra saṃtuṣṭastapastapyetsubuddhimān

Translation

แต่ผู้ใดแสวงหาโมกษะ—ผู้คลายกำหนัดจากมหาสมุทรแห่งภพ—ปราศจากความใคร่ผล และสันโดษ ณ ที่นั้น พึงบำเพ็ญตบะด้วยปัญญาอันแจ่มชัด

Word by Word

• अथ: then / now
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (discourse particle: then/now)

• वाञ्छति: desires
• वाञ्छति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यः: whoever
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विरक्तः: detached
• विरक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + रञ्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवसागरात्: from the ocean of worldly existence
• भवसागरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘भवस्य सागरः’

• निष्कामः: desireless
• निष्कामः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/नञ्-समासार्थ: ‘कामरहितः’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• संतुष्टः: content
• संतुष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + तुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तप्येत्: should practice (austerity)
• तप्येत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सुबुद्धिमान्: wise
• सुबुद्धिमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + बुद्धिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘सु-बुद्धिमान्’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: तत्-क्षेत्र/पीठ (unnamed here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renunciate pilgrim at the tīrtha: minimal possessions, seated in meditation or performing tapas under a tree/near a shrine; calm waters/quiet landscape symbolize the stilled ‘bhava-sāgara’.

Characters & Entities

• Mokṣa
• Bhava-sāgara
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

For mokṣa, the text prioritizes inner renunciation—desirelessness, contentment, and disciplined tapas—over merely seeking worldly gains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction applies to the tīrtha praised in this chapter of Nāgarakhaṇḍa; the verse does not identify it by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) grounded in vairāgya (detachment), niṣkāmatā (desirelessness), and santoṣa (contentment) at the sacred place.