Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

स एव ज्ञानवांल्लोके योगिनां प्रथमो हि सः । महाक्रतूनामाहर्ता हरिभक्तियुतो हि सः

Transliteration

sa eva jñānavāṃlloke yogināṃ prathamo hi saḥ | mahākratūnāmāhartā haribhaktiyuto hi saḥ

Translation

Er allein ist wahrhaft weise in der Welt; er ist wahrlich der Erste unter den Yogins. Er ist der wirkliche Vollender großer Opfer, weil er von Hingabe an Hari erfüllt ist.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed, alone
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः

• ज्ञानवान्: possessing knowledge
• ज्ञानवान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञानवत् (प्रातिपदिक; मतुप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• योगिनाम्: of yogins
• योगिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• प्रथमः: the foremost, first
• प्रथमः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्/पदवीवाचकः

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• महाक्रतूनाम्: of great sacrifices
• महाक्रतूनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् क्रतुः); पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• आहर्ता: performer/one who brings about
• आहर्ता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ+हृ (धातु) → आहर्तृ (कृदन्त; तृच्)
• Form: कर्तरि तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• हरि-भक्ति-युतः: endowed with devotion to Hari
• हरि-भक्ति-युतः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (endowed with devotion to Hari); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Unknown (Tīrthamāhātmya context; internal narrator not provided in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Hari-bhakta stands with japa-mālā and calm gaze; around him appear symbolic emblems: a yogin’s seat (āsana), Vedic altar (vedi), and sacrificial implements, all subtly dissolving into a single lotus of devotion; sages bow acknowledging him as foremost.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Yogin
• Mahākratu (great sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Hari is presented as what makes one truly wise, the best yogin, and the genuine fulfiller of great sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named site appears; the verse supports tīrtha-māhātmya by centering the fruit of pilgrimage in Hari-bhakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Great sacrifices (mahākratūs) are referenced, but the verse reframes their ‘completion’ as rooted in Hari-bhakti.