Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

न देवो विद्यते काष्ठे पाषाणे मृत्तिकासु च । भावेषु विद्यते देवो मन्त्रसंयोगसंयुतः

Transliteration

na devo vidyate kāṣṭhe pāṣāṇe mṛttikāsu ca | bhāveṣu vidyate devo mantrasaṃyogasaṃyutaḥ

Translation

“Thần linh không tự nhiên hiện hữu trong gỗ, đá hay đất sét. Thần linh hiện hữu trong tâm niệm đầy lòng thành, khi được kết hợp với sự tương ưng đúng đắn của thần chú.”

Word by Word

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

• देवः: God/deity
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विद्यते: is found/exists
• विद्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु; 'to be found/know'—आत्मनेपद)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• काष्ठे: in wood
• काष्ठे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पाषाणे: in stone
• पाषाणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṣāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• मृत्तिकासु: in clay (lumps)
• मृत्तिकासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛttikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• भावेषु: in (devotional) feelings/intentions
• भावेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• विद्यते: is found/exists
• विद्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• देवः: God/deity
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मन्त्रसंयोगसंयुतः: endowed with conjunction of mantra
• मन्त्रसंयोगसंयुतः: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyoga (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (प्रातिपदिक; sam+√yuj धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (PPP) saṃyuta; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (mantra-saṃyogena saṃyutaḥ)

Speaker

The sage (muni)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: wood, stone, clay icons shown as inert materials on one side; on the other, a radiant deity manifesting from the devotee’s heart and mantra syllables, illustrating presence through bhāva-mantra union.

Characters & Entities

• deva
• mantra
• kāṣṭha
• pāṣāṇa
• mṛttikā
• bhāva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship depends on bhāva (inner devotion) and mantra (sacred invocation), not merely on the material of the icon.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the teaching supports tīrtha-rituals by clarifying how sacred presence is established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-saṃyoga—invoking/establishing the deity through mantra alongside devotional intent—is emphasized.