Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स्वर्गार्थं क्रियते धर्मस्तपश्च वरवर्णिनि । येन भोगाः प्रभुञ्जंति ये दिव्या ये च मानुषाः

Transliteration

svargārthaṃ kriyate dharmastapaśca varavarṇini | yena bhogāḥ prabhuñjaṃti ye divyā ye ca mānuṣāḥ

Translation

হে অতিসুন্দরী, স্বর্গলাভের জন্যই ধর্ম ও তপস্যা করা হয়; যার দ্বারা দিব্য ও মানব—উভয় প্রকার ভোগ লাভ করে ভোগ করা যায়।

Word by Word

• स्वर्गार्थम्: for the sake of heaven
• स्वर्गार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्गाय अर्थः)

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• धर्मः: dharma, religious duty
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned one
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + वर्णिन् (प्रातिपदिक); सम्बोधन-रूप
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरा वर्णिनी)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• भोगाः: enjoyments
• भोगाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• प्रभुञ्जन्ति: enjoy
• प्रभुञ्जन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• दिव्याः: divine
• दिव्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक

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

• मानुषाः: humans
• मानुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Mahiṣa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker gestures as if teaching: dharma and tapas rising like flames toward svarga, with celestial and human enjoyments depicted as two tiers of reward.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Tapas
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse shows a common temptation: reducing dharma and tapas to mere enjoyment; Purāṇic dharma ultimately aims at purification and liberation beyond pleasure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this particular verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is mentioned generally, without a specific method.