Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तीर्थसेवा तपो दानं स्वाध्यायो गुरुसेवनम् । सर्वं सत्यविहीनस्य व्यर्थं संजायते यतः

Transliteration

tīrthasevā tapo dānaṃ svādhyāyo gurusevanam | sarvaṃ satyavihīnasya vyarthaṃ saṃjāyate yataḥ

Translation

Dienst an heiligen Pilgerstätten, Askese, Gabe, Selbststudium und Dienst am Guru — all dies wird fruchtlos für den, dem die Wahrheit fehlt.

Word by Word

• तीर्थसेवा: service to a sacred place
• तीर्थसेवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-सेवा (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + सेवा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी) ‘तीर्थस्य सेवा’

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

• दानम्: charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्वाध्यायः: self-study (Vedic study)
• स्वाध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• गुरुसेवनम्: service of the teacher
• गुरुसेवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु-सेवन (प्रातिपदिक; गुरु + सेवन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी) ‘गुरोः सेवनम्’

• सर्वम्: all (of this)
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समाहारार्थे ‘all (this)’

• सत्यविहीनस्य: of one devoid of truth
• सत्यविहीनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य-विहीन (प्रातिपदिक; सत्य + विहीन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘सत्येन विहीनः’ (truth-deprived)

• व्यर्थम्: in vain, fruitless
• व्यर्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially)

• संजायते: arises / becomes
• संजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक-सम्बन्ध (causal/relative adverb) ‘because/for which reason’

Speaker

Kṛtaghna (the preta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim performing multiple acts—bathing at a ghat, giving alms, reciting Veda, serving a guru—while a dark veil labeled ‘anṛta’ causes offerings to fade; beside it, a bright ‘satya’ aura makes the same acts glow and bear fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha (sacred places)
• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without truthfulness, even revered religious practices lose their spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas in general are praised, but no single site is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice tīrtha-sevā, dāna, svādhyāya, and guru-sevā, but anchor them in satya for them to bear fruit.