Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यत्किंचित्क्रियते कर्म तत्र स्नानादिकं शुभम् । तत्सर्वं जायते तेषां पुरा दत्तं स्वयंभुवा

Transliteration

yatkiṃcitkriyate karma tatra snānādikaṃ śubham | tatsarvaṃ jāyate teṣāṃ purā dattaṃ svayaṃbhuvā

Translation

Welche Handlung auch immer dann vollzogen wird—selbst heilsame Handlungen, beginnend mit dem Bad—alles wird für sie wirksam, weil der Selbstgeborene (Brahmā) es ihnen einst verliehen hat.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (सम्बन्धसूचक)

• किञ्चित्: anything, some
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcid (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (indefinite)

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

• कर्म: act, rite, deed
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there, in that (context)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• स्नानादिकम्: bathing and the like
• स्नानादिकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; स्नानादि = स्नानं च आदयः (bathing etc.)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अनुवादक)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• जायते: arises, comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• तेषाम्: for them/of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb of time)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु) → datta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (given)

• स्वयंभुवा: by Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयंभुवा: Karana (Agent-in-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayaṃbhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Deva (likely Śiva) speaking to Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sandhyā/Rātri-kāla (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sureśvarī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The deity explains that any act done then—even bathing—yields fruit for those beings, because Brahmā granted it long ago; evokes Brahmā’s decree hovering behind the dialogue.

Characters & Entities

• Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• Dānava (implied)
• Piśāca/Bhūta/Rākṣasa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the Purāṇic doctrine of kāla (time) affecting ritual fruit: even good acts can be empowered differently depending on who is entitled at that time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the verse explains ritual efficacy within the broader tīrtha-discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and other auspicious rites are referenced, with emphasis on how their fruits may accrue under specific temporal conditions.