Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

गुरूपदेशः प्रतिमा सद्विचारः समे मनः । क्रिया च ज्ञानसहिता मोक्षसिद्धेर्हि लक्षणम्

Transliteration

gurūpadeśaḥ pratimā sadvicāraḥ same manaḥ | kriyā ca jñānasahitā mokṣasiddherhi lakṣaṇam

Translation

Die Kennzeichen des Erlangens der Befreiung sind diese: Unterweisung durch den Guru, Verehrung durch ein heiliges Bild (Pratimā), edle Unterscheidungskraft, ein gleichmütiger und fester Geist sowie rituelles Handeln, verbunden mit wahrer Erkenntnis.

Word by Word

• गुरूपदेशः: the guru’s instruction
• गुरूपदेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु + उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (guroḥ upadeśaḥ)

• प्रतिमा: image; embodiment; model
• प्रतिमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• सद्विचारः: right discernment
• सद्विचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + विचार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); कर्मधारयः—‘सद् विचारः’ (good/right reflection)

• समे: in equanimity; in balance
• समे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Locative, Singular; adjective)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• क्रिया: action; practice
• क्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ज्ञानसहिता: accompanied by knowledge
• ज्ञानसहिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान + सहित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Nom, Singular; adjective); समासः—तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (jñānena sahitā / jñāna-sahitā)

• मोक्षसिद्धेः: of the attainment of liberation
• मोक्षसिद्धेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mokṣasya siddhiḥ)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• लक्षणम्: the characteristic; mark
• लक्षणम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from immediate context: ‘skande…’ in v.41 within the same passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed sādhaka receives upadeśa from a guru; beside them a Viṣṇu pratimā on an altar; symbolic motifs of a balanced mind (still lake) and a scripture scroll (vicāra).

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is supported by a complete discipline: guru-guidance, worship, discernment, mental equanimity, and practice grounded in knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya discourse; the specific tirtha name is not stated in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It endorses kriyā (religious practice) and pratimā-upāsanā (iconic worship), insisting they be united with jñāna (spiritual knowledge).