Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सदैवाश्वत्थसेवनम् । यः करोति नरो भक्त्या पापं याति दिनोद्भवम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena sadaivāśvatthasevanam | yaḥ karoti naro bhaktyā pāpaṃ yāti dinodbhavam

Translation

Darum soll man mit aller Anstrengung stets der Aśvattha dienen. Wer dies in Hingabe (bhakti) tut, dessen Sünde weicht Tag für Tag.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाव (ablatival indeclinable: 'therefore/from that')

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial instrumental: 'with all effort')

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नित्यत्ववाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis particle)

• अश्वत्थसेवनम्: service/attendance of the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थसेवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद (object)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; यः-इति सम्बन्धे अपोद्घात (apposition)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• दिनोद्भवम्: arising by day / daily-arising
• दिनोद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिन + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) पापम्

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from 'Brahma–Nārada saṃvāda' colophon context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha-sevā (nitya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee returns each day to the same Aśvattha: sunrise light, water poured at the root, simple flowers, a small lamp; a subtle dark mist (sins) thinning day by day around the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha (Pippala)
• Bhakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady devotional practice, not sporadic acts, steadily erodes pāpa and builds auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Aśvattha is treated as an ever-accessible sacred focus for daily dharma and purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvattha-sevā—regular devotional attendance (such as circumambulation, watering, offering) performed consistently.