Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

किं व्रतैर्नियमैर्वापि तपोभिर्विविधैर्मखैः । कृतैर्विष्णुपदीतोये संस्थिते धरणीतले

Transliteration

kiṃ vratairniyamairvāpi tapobhirvividhairmakhaiḥ | kṛtairviṣṇupadītoye saṃsthite dharaṇītale

Translation

فما الحاجةُ إلى النذور والقيود، وإلى شتّى الرياضات والتقشّفات، أو إلى كثرة القرابين—ما دامت مياهُ فيشنوبدي المقدّسة حاضرةً هنا على الأرض؟

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• व्रतैः: with vows
• व्रतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• नियमैः: with observances
• नियमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थे (also/even)

• तपोभिः: with austerities
• तपोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• विविधैः: various
• विविधैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• मखैः: with sacrifices
• मखैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कृतैः: performed
• कृतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) PPP)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; व्रतादि-विशेषण (done/performed)

• विष्णुपदीतोये: in Viṣṇupadī’s water
• विष्णुपदीतोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णुपदी (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘विष्णुपद्याः तोये’ (in the water of Viṣṇupadī)

• संस्थिते: when (it is) situated
• संस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्थित (कृदन्त; सम्-√स्था (धातु) PPP)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘संस्थिते (सति)’ (when situated)

• धरणीतले: on the earth’s surface
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘धरण्याः तले’ (on the earth’s surface)

Speaker

Nārada (gāthā continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side, arduous tapas and smoky yajña altars; on the other, a radiant river where a simple snāna dissolves burdens—signaling the tīrtha’s supremacy.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇupadī
• vrata
• niyama
• tapas
• makha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A potent tīrtha can concentrate the fruits of many disciplines, offering accessible purification without diminishing the value of dharmic practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇupadī-tīrtha, whose water is praised as a readily available source of sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, approaching/using Viṣṇupadī’s water (especially for snāna) is presented as the key practice.