Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

सदा यज्ञक्रियोपेतः सदा तीर्थपरायणः । शास्त्रश्रवणसंयुक्तो न प्रेतो जायते नरः

Transliteration

sadā yajñakriyopetaḥ sadā tīrthaparāyaṇaḥ | śāstraśravaṇasaṃyukto na preto jāyate naraḥ

Translation

Wer stets mit Yajña-Handlungen und heiligen Riten befasst ist, wer immer den Tīrthas und heiligen Stätten zugewandt ist und wer dem Hören der Śāstra verbunden bleibt—ein solcher Mensch wird nicht als Preta geboren.

Word by Word

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण)

• yajñakriyopetaḥ: endowed with sacrificial rites
• yajñakriyopetaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + kriyā (प्रातिपदिक) + upeta (कृदन्त; उप+इ (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘उपेत’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञक्रियया उपेतः = endowed with sacrificial rites)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• tīrthaparāyaṇaḥ: devoted to sacred places
• tīrthaparāyaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थे परायणः = devoted to pilgrimages/sacred places)

• śāstraśravaṇasaṃyuktaḥ: engaged in listening to scriptures
• śāstraśravaṇasaṃyuktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक) + śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (कृदन्त; सम्+युज् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘संयुक्त’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शास्त्रश्रवणेन संयुक्तः = associated with hearing scriptures)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• pretaḥ: a preta
• pretaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय

• jāyate: is born/becomes
• jāyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• naraḥ: man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs a small homa with controlled flames, then is shown walking with staff toward a sacred ford, and later seated among listeners hearing śāstra from a learned reciter—three vignettes in one frame.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Śāstra
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life anchored in sacred action, sacred geography, and sacred listening forms a protective dharmic trajectory beyond death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas in general are praised; no single named location appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular yajña/ritual performance, tīrtha-sevana (pilgrimage), and śāstra-śravaṇa (hearing scripture).