Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 136

Devanagari script

यस्यैते नियता दंडाः स त्रिदंडी यतिः स्मृतः । अनुरागं जनो याति परोक्षे गुणकीर्तनम्

Transliteration

yasyaite niyatā daṃḍāḥ sa tridaṃḍī yatiḥ smṛtaḥ | anurāgaṃ jano yāti parokṣe guṇakīrtanam

Translation

若此三杖调御坚固者，便被忆念为持三杖的出家行者（tridaṇḍī yati）。众人对其生起敬爱之心，即使其不在，也称扬其德。

Word by Word

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘whose’

• एते: these
• एते: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘these’

• नियताः: regulated
• नियताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-यत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् of ‘दण्डाः’; ‘restrained/regulated’

• दण्डाः: restraints
• दण्डाः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘disciplines/restraints’

• सः: he
• सः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘he’

• त्रिदण्डी: a tridaṇḍin (one with three restraints)
• त्रिदण्डी: Kartā (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-सामानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + दण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/द्विगु-भावः ‘त्रयः दण्डाः यस्य’ (conventional term for one with three disciplines)

• यतिः: ascetic
• यतिः: Kartā (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-सामानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ascetic’

• स्मृतः: is regarded
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त/Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is considered/remembered (as)’

• अनुरागम्: affection
• अनुरागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुराग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘affection’ as object

• जनः: people
• जनः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘people/a person’

• याति: attains
• याति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘goes/attains’

• परोक्षे: in (one’s) absence
• परोक्षे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘in absence/behind one’s back’

• गुणकीर्तनम्: praising (his) virtues
• गुणकीर्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘गुणानां कीर्तनम्’ = ‘praise of virtues’; here as object/apposition to ‘अनुरागम्’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tridaṇḍī ascetic holding three staffs bound together, standing calmly as villagers bow; in the background, people speak of his virtues even after he has walked away, indicating enduring influence.

Characters & Entities

• tridaṇḍī
• yati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true renunciant is defined by consistent threefold self-restraint; such integrity naturally inspires devotion and praise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The normative mark of the tridaṇḍī is prescribed: regulated discipline in speech, action, and mind.