Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुनंति सर्वतीर्थानि स्नानाद्दानादसंशयम् । पुष्करालोकनादेव सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

punaṃti sarvatīrthāni snānāddānādasaṃśayam | puṣkarālokanādeva sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

সকল তীর্থ স্নান ও দানে নিঃসন্দেহে পবিত্র করে; কিন্তু পুষ্করের কেবল দর্শনেই সকল পাপ থেকে মুক্তি হয়।

Word by Word

• punanti: purify
• punanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pū (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• sarva-tīrthāni: all sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• sarva-tīrthāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (sarvāṇi tīrthāni)

• snānāt: from bathing; by bathing
• snānāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• dānāt: from giving; by charity
• dānāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• asaṃśayam: undoubtedly
• asaṃśayam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: asaṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative); निःसन्देह-अर्थे

• puṣkara-ālokanāt: from merely seeing Puṣkara
• puṣkara-ālokanāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक) + ālokana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (puṣkarasya ālokanam)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• sarva-pāpaiḥ: from all sins
• sarva-pāpaiḥ: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (sarvaiḥ pāpaiḥ)

• pramucyate: is freed; is released
• pramucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (contextually Sūta speaking to ṛṣis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (preeminent within Puṣkara-tritaya)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvija audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A comparative tableau: on one side pilgrims bathe and give alms at various fords; on the other, a devotee simply beholds Puṣkara and is shown as freed from dark stains, indicating instant purification.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Sarvatīrtha (all holy places)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puṣkara is presented as exceptionally potent: even darśana (seeing) grants pāpa-kṣaya beyond ordinary tīrtha practices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara (the Puṣkara tīrtha/region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and dāna (charity) are affirmed as purifying practices; additionally, Puṣkara-darśana is singled out as independently liberating from sins.