Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यथोक्तविधिना दृष्ट्वा नरः पापात्प्रमुच्यते । यो यं काममभिध्यायन्क्षेत्रेष्वेतेषु भक्तितः

Transliteration

yathoktavidhinā dṛṣṭvā naraḥ pāpātpramucyate | yo yaṃ kāmamabhidhyāyankṣetreṣveteṣu bhaktitaḥ

Translation

Wer sie nach der vorgeschriebenen Weise schaut, wird von Sünde befreit. Und wer in diesen Kṣetras in Hingabe einen bestimmten Wunsch im Herzen betrachtet—

Word by Word

• यथोक्तविधिना: by the prescribed method
• यथोक्तविधिना: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यथा-उक्त-विधि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यथोक्तः विधिः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen/visited
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (Source/separation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• प्रमुच्यते: is freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय)

• यम्: which/whom
• यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कामम्: desire/wish
• कामम्: Karma (Object; apposition to yam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभिध्यायन्: meditating upon
• अभिध्यायन्: Karta (Agent participle qualifying yaḥ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षेत्रेषु: in the sacred fields
• क्षेत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• एतेषु: in these
• एतेषु: Visheshana (Determiner of kṣetreṣu)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भक्तितः: out of devotion/devoutly
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/motive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative) एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverbial: 'out of devotion')

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣetra-traya (Kurukṣetra–Hāṭakeśvara–Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, hands folded, approaches the kṣetra with prescribed conduct; Sūta’s words hover as a ‘vidhi’ injunction—darśana done rightly frees from sin; devotion and focused contemplation are central.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not merely travel: darśana performed with prescribed discipline and devotion becomes a means of purification and sanctified intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching applies to the previously named three kṣetras (Kurukṣetra, Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, and Prābhāsika).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (visiting/seeing) ‘according to the stated vidhi’ and devotional contemplation (abhidhyāna) within the kṣetra.