Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्व प्रयत्नेन स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत । संस्पृशेच्च पदं विष्णोर्य इच्छेच्छ्रेय आत्मनः

Transliteration

tasmātsarva prayatnena snānaṃ tatra samācareta | saṃspṛśecca padaṃ viṣṇorya icchecchreya ātmanaḥ

Translation

Darum soll man mit allem Eifer an jenem heiligen Ort baden; und wer sein höchstes Heil begehrt, berühre auch ehrfürchtig den Fußabdruck Viṣṇus.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• सर्व: entirely, with all (one’s effort)
• सर्व: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial: ‘entirely/wholly’)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• समाचरेत्: should perform/practice
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु) + सम्-आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• संस्पृशेत्: should touch
• संस्पृशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• पदम्: the foot/abode (step)
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• इच्छेत्: should desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आत्मनः: for oneself / of the self
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from surrounding dialogue context in Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇoḥ Pada (Viṣṇu-pāda)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / pilgrims by implication

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a sacred waterbody; after bathing, they approach a stone slab or rock bearing Viṣṇu’s footprint, touching it with folded hands; priests guide; lamps and flowers offered.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇupada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere effort in tīrtha-snānā and reverence to Viṣṇu’s sacred footprint are taught as direct means to personal śreyas (highest welfare).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Viṣṇupada-associated tīrtha within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (the exact locality is referenced by the surrounding narrative).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform bathing (snāna) at the tīrtha and physically touch the Viṣṇupada as an act of devotion.