Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कच्चित्ते कुशलं सौम्य मनो धर्मे प्रवर्तते । अर्थानुबंधाः सततं बन्धुदारसुतादयः

Transliteration

kaccitte kuśalaṃ saumya mano dharme pravartate | arthānubaṃdhāḥ satataṃ bandhudārasutādayaḥ

Translation

اے نرم خو! کیا تم خیریت سے ہو؟ کیا تمہارا دل دھرم میں لگا رہتا ہے؟ اور کیا دنیاوی رشتے—عزیز و اقارب، بیوی، اولاد وغیرہ—اب بھی لگاؤ کے سبب تمہیں برابر باندھے رکھتے ہیں؟

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: is it so? / I hope
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय/निपात (interrogative particle: 'whether?')

• ते: your/of you
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; 'of you/your'

• कुशलम्: well-being, welfare
• कुशलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भाववाचक (well-being)

• सौम्य: O gentle one
• सौम्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• धर्मे: in dharma, in righteousness
• धर्मे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रवर्तते: proceeds, is engaged
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अर्थानुबन्धाः: attachments to wealth
• अर्थानुबन्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ + अनुबन्ध (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अर्थस्य अनुबन्धाः = attachments/connections to wealth)

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रयोग)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: 'always/constantly')

• बन्धुदारसुतादयः: kinsmen, wife, children, and others
• बन्धुदारसुतादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धु + दार + सुत + आदि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (bandhus, wife, sons, etc.) + 'आदि' (etc.)

Speaker

Gālava (deduced from nearby verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage gently questions the devotee, gesturing with open palm; the devotee listens attentively, still in añjali, with a contemplative expression suggesting inner examination.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True well-being is measured by whether the mind abides in dharma rather than being pulled by worldly attachments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as moral inquiry within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it frames the discourse by assessing dharmic orientation and detachment.