Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गृहस्थानां च मनसा स्मृत एषोऽपरिग्रहः । एते यमास्तव प्रोक्ताः पंचैव नियमाञ्छृणु

Transliteration

gṛhasthānāṃ ca manasā smṛta eṣo'parigrahaḥ | ete yamāstava proktāḥ paṃcaiva niyamāñchṛṇu

Translation

又对居家者而言，不取不执（aparigraha）应理解为心中离贪的超然。这些持戒（yama）已为你宣说；如今当听五种精进守则（niyama）。

Word by Word

• gṛhasthānām: of householders
• gṛhasthānām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛhastha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; ‘of householders’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• manasā: by mind
• manasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘by mind’

• smṛtaḥ: is remembered/held
• smṛtaḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past passive participle; ‘remembered/considered’

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Demonstrative pronoun ‘this’

• aparigrahaḥ: non-possessiveness
• aparigrahaḥ: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- (उपसर्ग/निषेध) + parigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘non-acceptance/non-possessiveness’

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; ‘these’

• yamāḥ: yamas (restraints)
• yamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; ‘restraints’

• tava: to you/your
• tava: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular; ‘of you/your’

• proktāḥ: have been stated
• proktāḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past passive participle; ‘have been declared’

• paṃca: five
• paṃca: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃcan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; अत्र ‘पञ्च’ = ‘five’ (indeclinable-like numeral)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• niyamān: niyamas (observances)
• niyamān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन — Accusative plural; ‘observances’

• śṛṇu: hear
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन — ‘hear!’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Disciple/ṛṣi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder holding a small bundle of necessities while a larger pile fades into mist, indicating mental detachment; a teacher figure gestures to a scroll listing yamas, then points to a second scroll titled niyamas.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even while living as a householder, one should practice aparigraha as inner non-attachment; ethics precede higher yoga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred site is referenced; the focus is on yogic prerequisites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It introduces the structured discipline of yama and niyama as preparatory observances.