Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा पितामहं देवं पूजयित्वा जनार्दनम् । स भविष्यति शूद्रोऽपि ब्राह्मणश्चान्यजन्मनि

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā pitāmahaṃ devaṃ pūjayitvā janārdanam | sa bhaviṣyati śūdro'pi brāhmaṇaścānyajanmani

Translation

দেব পিতামহ (ব্রহ্মা)-কে দর্শন করে এবং জনার্দন (বিষ্ণু)-কে পূজা করে, শূদ্রও অন্য জন্মে ব্রাহ্মণ হয়।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive)

• पितामहम्: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (Accusative, singular)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (Accusative, singular); पितामहस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive)

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु-नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (Accusative, singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative, singular)

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple future); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Pratipādya/Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative, singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle; ‘even/also’)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Pratipādya/Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (Nominative, singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अन्य-जन्मनि: in another birth
• अन्य-जन्मनि: Adhikarana (Time-state/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; सप्तमी (Locative, singular); समासः—अन्यं जन्म इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; अर्थतः ‘in another birth’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely continuing reported speech within the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmakuṇḍa kṣetra (with Brahmā-darśana and Janārdana-pūjā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, freshly bathed, stands between two sanctums: Brahmā (four-faced) receiving reverent gaze, and Janārdana (Viṣṇu) receiving pūjā with lamp and flowers; the scene suggests karmic elevation across births.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmakuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-darśana and sincere worship can transform one’s spiritual destiny across births.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmakuṇḍa, where the māhātmya associates darśana/worship with extraordinary merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding) of Pitāmaha (Brahmā) and pūjā (worship) of Janārdana (Viṣṇu).