Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

निर्मथ्य नन्दभद्रेण आहृतं तन्निशामय । वाणिज्यं मन्यते श्रेष्ठं जीवनाय तदा स्थितः

Transliteration

nirmathya nandabhadreṇa āhṛtaṃ tanniśāmaya | vāṇijyaṃ manyate śreṣṭhaṃ jīvanāya tadā sthitaḥ

Translation

今且听南陀跋陀罗以勤苦之力，如搅乳海般“搅取”而得、所携来者。彼时他以贸易为维生之最胜之道，遂安住其业。

Word by Word

• निर्मथ्य: having extracted/churned out
• निर्मथ्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-√मथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: मथ्, उपसर्ग: निर्; ‘having churned/after extracting’

• नन्दभद्रेण: by Nandabhadra
• नन्दभद्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (नन्दः च सः भद्रः)

• आहृतम्: brought
• आहृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘brought’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• निशामय: notice; observe
• निशामय: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘observe/notice!’

• वाणिज्यम्: trade; commerce
• वाणिज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणिज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• मन्यते: considers
• मन्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• श्रेष्ठम्: best; excellent
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma-pravacaniya/Complement (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाणिज्यम्)

• जीवनाय: for livelihood
• जीवनाय: Sampradana/Purpose (Recipient-Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• स्थितः: remaining; being situated
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘standing/remaining’

Speaker

Nārada (context continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandabhadra, a modest merchant, stands beside simple goods and a travel pack, portrayed as steady and contemplative, choosing trade as a disciplined means of living rather than as greed.

Characters & Entities

• Nandabhadra
• Vāṇijya (trade)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even livelihood (trade) can be dharmic when pursued with effort, restraint, and devotion—dharma is lived in one’s occupation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues within the Bahūdaka/Kapileśvara setting in Kāmarūpa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse transitions from worshipful virtue to dharmic livelihood.