Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन शुद्धिः कार्या द्विजोत्तमैः । वर्षेवर्षे तु संप्राप्ते स्वस्थानस्य विशुद्धये

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena śuddhiḥ kāryā dvijottamaiḥ | varṣevarṣe tu saṃprāpte svasthānasya viśuddhaye

Translation

Darum sollen die Besten der Zweimalgeborenen mit allem Eifer die Reinigung vollziehen—Jahr um Jahr, wenn die Zeit herankommt—zur Läuterung ihres eigenen Ortes und Wohnsitzes.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग; हेत्वर्थक (therefore/from that reason)

• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: with every effort
• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: Sahakari (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वः प्रयत्नः)

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कार्या: must be done
• कार्या: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (should be done)

• द्विजोत्तमैः: by the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमैः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (द्विजाः ये उत्तमाः)

• वर्षे-वर्षे: year after year / every year
• वर्षे-वर्षे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन-द्विरुक्ति; अव्ययीभावार्थ (प्रत्येकवर्षे = every year)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) सप्तमी-एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; सति-सप्तमी (when it has arrived)

• स्व-स्थानस्य: of one’s own place/residence
• स्व-स्थानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य स्थानम्)

• विशुद्धये: for purification
• विशुद्धये: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (for the purpose of)

Speaker

Unspecified in the snippet (continuation of instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svathāna-śuddhi (annual abode purification)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamas (best of twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dvijottamas collectively purify a settlement: sweeping courtyards, washing thresholds, sprinkling sanctified water, renewing a small shrine; the place brightens as if a tīrtha is re-awakened annually.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottama
• Śuddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is sustained through regular, disciplined renewal; dharma is preserved by periodic self-and-community cleansing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is specified; the verse sets a general rule within a tīrtha-māhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake purification with full effort on a recurring annual basis, aimed at cleansing one’s own dwelling/place.