Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गृहकर्म परित्यज्य गुरुशुश्रूषणानि च । मिथः संभाषणं चक्रुः स्थानेस्थाने च ताः स्थिताः

Transliteration

gṛhakarma parityajya guruśuśrūṣaṇāni ca | mithaḥ saṃbhāṣaṇaṃ cakruḥ sthānesthāne ca tāḥ sthitāḥ

Translation

Bỏ dở việc nhà và cả việc phụng sự các bậc trưởng thượng, thầy tổ, họ đứng rải rác nơi này nơi kia mà trò chuyện với nhau.

Word by Word

• gṛhakarma: household work
• gṛhakarma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (gṛhasya karma = household duties)

• parityajya: having abandoned
• parityajya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund)

• guruśuśrūṣaṇāni: services to the guru
• guruśuśrūṣaṇāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + śuśrūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (guroḥ śuśrūṣaṇāni = services to the teacher)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

• mithaḥ: mutually
• mithaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mithaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परस्परार्थक (reciprocally)

• saṃbhāṣaṇam: conversation
• saṃbhāṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sam-bhāṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• cakruḥ: they did, they engaged in
• cakruḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• sthāne: in a place
• sthāne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• sthāne: in (each) place
• sthāne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for distributive sense)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

• tāḥ: they (those women)
• tāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• sthitāḥ: stood, remained
• sthitāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) प्रयोगः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; स्थित्यर्थक (stood/remained)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deductive attribution

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Women ascetics scatter in small groups around the hermitage, abandoning chores and teacher-service; animated conversation replaces disciplined silence; the āśrama’s order visibly loosens.

Characters & Entities

• Guru (elders/teachers)
• Tāpasyaḥ (women ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through duty and service; distraction that weakens guru-sevā and daily obligations is a spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hermitage precinct within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-region, used as a stage for teaching āśrama-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite; it emphasizes prescribed conduct: gṛhakarma (right duties) and guruśuśrūṣā (service to teachers/elders).