Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

नित्यमश्वत्थसंस्पर्शात्पापं याति सहस्रधा । दुग्धेन तर्पणं ये वै तिलमिश्रेण भक्तितः

Transliteration

nityamaśvatthasaṃsparśātpāpaṃ yāti sahasradhā | dugdhena tarpaṇaṃ ye vai tilamiśreṇa bhaktitaḥ

Translation

Durch die tägliche Berührung der heiligen Aśvattha (Pippala) wird Sünde tausendfach zerschmettert. Und wer in Hingabe Tarpaṇa mit Milch, vermischt mit Sesam, darbringt, erlangt reinigendes Verdienst.

Word by Word

• नित्यम्: always; constantly
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• अश्वत्थसंस्पर्शात्: from touching the aśvattha
• अश्वत्थसंस्पर्शात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थसंस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (अश्वत्थस्य संस्पर्शः)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• याति: goes away; departs
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन

• सहस्रधा: a thousandfold
• सहस्रधा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in a thousand ways/into a thousandfold)

• दुग्धेन: with milk
• दुग्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• तर्पणम्: libation/satiation offering
• तर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद (object of ‘करिष्यन्ति’ in next verse)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तिलमिश्रेण: mixed with sesame
• तिलमिश्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिलमिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (तिलैः मिश्रः)

• भक्तितः: with devotion
• भक्तितः: Sambandha (Manner/Cause/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from/with devotion)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa–Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee gently touches the pippala trunk at dawn, then offers tarpaṇa from a small vessel—milk mixed with sesame—at the tree’s base, with focused devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha
• Pippala
• Tila
• Dugdha
• Tarpaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily reverence to the Aśvattha—expressed even through touch and simple offerings—functions as a powerful purifier of pāpa when done with bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse chiefly glorifies the sacred Aśvattha (pippala) as a living tīrtha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting, rather than naming a single city-tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa (libation/oblation) performed with milk mixed with sesame, offered devotionally.