Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

न स्नानं देवताहोमस्तपोनियम एव च । न स्वाध्यायवषट्कारौ न च शुद्धिर्विवाहिता

Transliteration

na snānaṃ devatāhomastaponiyama eva ca | na svādhyāyavaṣaṭkārau na ca śuddhirvivāhitā

Translation

Đối với các hạng ấy, không bắt buộc nghi thức tắm rửa, không bắt buộc lễ hỏa cúng dâng chư thiên, cũng không buộc các pháp khổ hạnh và giới luật; không buộc tụng tự học Veda kèm tiếng vaṣaṭ, và cũng không buộc các phép tịnh hóa trong nghi lễ hôn phối.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• devatāhomaḥ: oblations to deities
• devatāhomaḥ: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक) + homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवतायाः होमः)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• niyamaḥ: observance/discipline
• niyamaḥ: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• svādhyāyaḥ: self-study (Vedic recitation)
• svādhyāyaḥ: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svādhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vaṣaṭkārau: the vaṣaṭ-calls (ritual exclamations)
• vaṣaṭkārau: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṣaṭkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• śuddhiḥ: purification
• śuddhiḥ: Karta/Predicate nominal (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vivāhitā: (that which is) through marriage / marital
• vivāhitā: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vivāhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying śuddhiḥ)

Speaker

Brahmā (in Brahma–Nārada dialogue context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher explains ritual boundaries: a homa-kuṇḍa and Vedic implements shown to one side, while artisans stand respectfully with folded hands, indicating alternative paths of merit.

Characters & Entities

• homa
• svādhyāya
• vaṣaṭ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma differentiates obligations by eligibility; spiritual good is not reduced to a single ritual template for all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears within the tīrtha-centered Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya context of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It discusses non-obligation (rather than prescription) regarding snāna, homa, svādhyāya, vaṣaṭ-calls, and marriage purifications.