Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सर्वमेव हरिप्रीत्या यः करोति स मुक्तिभाक् । वर्णाश्रमविधेर्मूर्तिः सत्यो विष्णुः सनातनः

Transliteration

sarvameva hariprītyā yaḥ karoti sa muktibhāk | varṇāśramavidhermūrtiḥ satyo viṣṇuḥ sanātanaḥ

Translation

Wer jede Handlung in der Absicht vollbringt, Hari zu erfreuen, wird teilhaft der Befreiung (mokṣa). Der ewige, stets wahrhaftige Viṣṇu ist die verkörperte Gestalt der Satzungen von varṇa und āśrama (der heiligen Pflichten nach Stand und Lebensstufe).

Word by Word

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• हरिप्रीत्या: for/with Hari’s pleasure
• हरिप्रीत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि + प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (सम्बन्धक)

• करोति: does
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Main subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• मुक्तिभाक्: a sharer of liberation; liberated
• मुक्तिभाक्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति + भाज् (धातु) → भाक् (कृदन्त)
• Form: उपपद-समास; प्रथमा एकवचन पुंलिङ्ग (भाज्-धातोः क्विप्; ‘one who partakes’)

• वर्णाश्रमविधेः: of the rule of varṇa and āśrama
• वर्णाश्रमविधेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण + आश्रम + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन

• मूर्तिः: embodiment/form
• मूर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• सत्यः: true
• सत्यः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (विष्णोः विशेषण)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• सनातनः: eternal
• सनातनः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (विष्णोः विशेषण)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from nearby dialogue context in this adhyāya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage: householders, ascetics, and pilgrims each performing their duties—study, charity, service, worship—while a subtle Viṣṇu presence (a radiant form or emblem) pervades, indicating He is the 'mūrti' of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offer all actions for Hari’s pleasure; such devotion-oriented duty leads toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is a general dharma-teaching within the Tīrthamāhātmya flow; no single named tīrtha is specified in the shloka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a specific ritual; it prescribes the inner orientation—doing all prescribed duties as an offering to Hari, aligned with varṇāśrama discipline.