Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

आसु सर्वासु यः स्नाति चतुर्विंशतिभाग्भवेत्

Transliteration

āsu sarvāsu yaḥ snāti caturviṃśatibhāgbhavet

Translation

Wer in all diesen Gewässern badet, erlangt einen Anteil an Verdienst, bemessen in vierundzwanzig Teilen (ein in vierundzwanzig aufgeteilter Lohn).

Word by Word

• आसु: in these
• आसु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (in these [f.])

• सर्वासु: in all (of them)
• सर्वासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चतुर्विंशतिभाक्: a twenty-fourth share
• चतुर्विंशतिभाक्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विंशति (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (one part out of twenty-four)

• भवेत्: would become / would obtain
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā–Narmadā–Sarasvatī (collective observance)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s journey map motif: three great rivers depicted as flowing bands; the pilgrim performs snāna at each, and a single radiant ‘24-part’ mandala forms above, signifying unified merit.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit increases through comprehensive tīrtha-sevā—devotional engagement with many sacred waters is praised.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single site; it refers back to the enumerated sacred rivers/tīrthas in the immediate context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in all the mentioned waters is prescribed as the act that yields the stated share of merit.