Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

सावित्रीमंत्रनिरता ये भवंतोऽघनाशनाः । आत्मानं यजमानं च तारयंति न संशयः

Transliteration

sāvitrīmaṃtraniratā ye bhavaṃto'ghanāśanāḥ | ātmānaṃ yajamānaṃ ca tārayaṃti na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

من كان منكم مواظباً على مانترا سافيتري، وهي مُذهِبة للذنوب، فإنه يخلّص نفسه ويخلّص المُضحّي (مقيم اليَجْنَ) أيضاً؛ لا ريب في ذلك.

Word by Word

• सावित्रीमन्त्रनिरताः: devoted to the Sāvitrī mantra
• सावित्रीमन्त्रनिरताः: Visheshana (Adjectival to 'भवन्तः')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सावित्री-मन्त्र-निरत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—सावित्रीमन्त्रे निरताः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• भवन्तः: you (honoured persons)
• भवन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम-प्राय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; आदरार्थे

• अघनाशनाः: destroyers of sin
• अघनाशनाः: Visheshana (Adjectival to 'भवन्तः')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—अघस्य नाशनाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• आत्मानम्: oneself; the self
• आत्मानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यजमानम्: the sacrificer (patron)
• यजमानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-प्राय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; यज्-धातोः वर्तमानकर्तरि (sacrificer)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तारयन्ति: they deliver; they save
• तारयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense in usage: 'to cause to cross/save'

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Existential subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'न संशयः' इति नास्त्यर्थे (elliptic: 'there is no doubt')

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic praise within Tīrthamāhātmya; addressing mantra-practitioners/priests)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-brāhmaṇa seated on kuśa grass near a tīrtha, performing sandhyā with a japa-mālā; a yajamāna stands respectfully offering arghya and dakṣiṇā; subtle radiance from the mantra encircles both, symbolizing shared deliverance.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Gāyatrī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-discipline, especially Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī), is presented as a powerful purifier that uplifts both practitioner and beneficiary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named in the verse; the teaching fits the broader sacred-rite environment of a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotion to the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) mantra—i.e., mantra-japa and faithful practice—is the stated discipline.