Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

परं विप्रस्य या दीक्षा व्रतवंधसमुद्भवा । गायत्री परमा जाप्ये गुरुर्व्रतपरो हि सः । वैष्णवीं चाथ शैवीं च योऽन्यां दीक्षां समाचरेत्

Transliteration

paraṃ viprasya yā dīkṣā vratavaṃdhasamudbhavā | gāyatrī paramā jāpye gururvrataparo hi saḥ | vaiṣṇavīṃ cātha śaivīṃ ca yo'nyāṃ dīkṣāṃ samācaret

Translation

Für einen Brāhmaṇa ist die höchste dīkṣā jene, die aus dem bindenden Gelübde heiliger Disziplin (vrata) hervorgeht. Im japa ist das höchste Mantra die Gāyatrī; und sein wahrer Guru ist der, der den Gelübden ergeben ist. Wenn aber jemand, nachdem er vaiṣṇavische oder śaivische dīkṣā empfangen hat, aus Wankelmut noch eine weitere dīkṣā auf sich nähme—

Word by Word

• param: further; moreover
• param: Sambandha (Discourse marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (particle/adverb), अर्थः: “further/moreover”

• viprasya: of a Brahmin
• viprasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• yā: which
• yā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dīkṣā: initiation
• dīkṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vrata-vandha-samudbhavā: arising from the observance/bond of vows
• vrata-vandha-samudbhavā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + vandha/bandha (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सम्बन्ध-श्रृङ्खला: व्रत-बन्धात् समुद्भवा = arising from the binding/observance of vows)

• gāyatrī: Gāyatrī (mantra)
• gāyatrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• paramā: supreme
• paramā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गायत्‍र्याः विशेषणम्

• jāpye: in japa (repetition)
• jāpye: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāpya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अर्थः: जपनीय-कर्मणि/जपे (in the act of japa)

• guruḥ: the teacher
• guruḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vrata-paraḥ: devoted to vows
• vrata-paraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (व्रते परः = devoted to vows)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चय/हेतु-निपात

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vaiṣṇavīm: Vaiṣṇava (related to Viṣṇu)
• vaiṣṇavīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; दीक्षाम् इति विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक

• atha: then; and also
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• śaivīm: Śaiva (related to Śiva)
• śaivīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दीक्षाम् इति विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• anyām: another
• anyām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दीक्षाम् इति विशेषणम्

• dīkṣām: initiation
• dīkṣām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samācaret: should undertake; should practice
• samācaret: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√car (चर् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (actually तृतीयपुरुष/3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद: “should practice/undertake”

Speaker

Narrative voice (speaker not explicitly marked in this verse; immediate dialogue attribution appears from 89 onward)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: Durvāsā instructs a brāhmaṇa aspirant; Gāyatrī is symbolized by a radiant sun-disc or Vedic fire; two paths (Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava) appear as distinct emblems, warning against wavering between them.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Vaiṣṇava dīkṣā
• Śaiva dīkṣā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vow-bound discipline and faithful practice—especially Gāyatrī-japa—are upheld as the highest brāhmaṇical path, not restless switching of consecrations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is doctrinal within the Tīrthamāhātmya flow; no specific tīrtha-name is stated in the śloka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gāyatrī-japa is identified as supreme, and steadfast observance of vrata is emphasized as the core discipline connected to dīkṣā.