Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 113

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन नागतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । माहात्म्यं पठनीयं वा श्रोतव्यं वा समाहितैः

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena nāgatīrthamanuttamam | māhātmyaṃ paṭhanīyaṃ vā śrotavyaṃ vā samāhitaiḥ

Translation

Darum soll man mit allem Eifer das unvergleichliche Nāga-tīrtha verehren; sein Māhātmya ist zu rezitieren — oder wenigstens zu hören — von denen, die gesammelt und aufmerksam sind.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Upapatti (Reason/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति निपातवत् (indeclinable usage meaning 'therefore'); मूलतः पञ्चमी एकवचन-रूपम्

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + प्रयत्न)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग; उपायवाचक (with all effort)

• नागतीर्थम्: Nāga-tīrtha
• नागतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; नाग + तीर्थ)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग; विशेषण (unsurpassed)

• माहात्म्यम्: the māhātmya (glorification)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• पठनीयम्: should be recited
• पठनीयम्: Kriya (Obligatory predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठनीय (कृदन्त; √पठ् + अनीयत्, gerundive)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerundive/अनीयत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेय (should be recited)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• श्रोतव्यम्: should be listened to
• श्रोतव्यम्: Kriya (Obligatory predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रोतव्य (कृदन्त; √श्रु + तव्यत्, gerundive)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerundive/तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेय (should be heard)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• समाहितैः: by the attentive (people)
• समाहितैः: Karana (Agent group in passive/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित (कृदन्त; सम्-आ-√धा, भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त/PPP used adjectivally)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण (by the attentive/collected-minded)

Speaker

Indra (Sahasrākṣa), within Sūta’s narration context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (implied continuing audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A closing scene: pilgrims and brāhmaṇas sit in attentive silence as the māhātmya is read aloud; the Nāga-tīrtha waters and a nāga emblem form the sacred backdrop, emphasizing ‘samāhita’ listening.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual benefit depends on sincere engagement—attentive hearing or recitation of sacred teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāga-tīrtha, described as anuttama (unsurpassed).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite or listen to the Nāga-tīrtha māhātmya with focused attention (samāhita-citta).