Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

जपेद्रथंतरं साम यानार्थं तत्र यो नरः । स प्राप्नोति हि यानानि शीघ्रगानि शुभानि च

Transliteration

japedrathaṃtaraṃ sāma yānārthaṃ tatra yo naraḥ | sa prāpnoti hi yānāni śīghragāni śubhāni ca

Translation

Wer, nach Fahrzeugen verlangend, dort den Sāman „Rathaṃtara“ rezitiert, erlangt wahrlich glückverheißende Wagen und schnell dahineilende Reisemittel.

Word by Word

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• रथन्तरम्: Rathantara (Sāman)
• रथन्तरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सामविशेष-नाम

• साम: Sāman chant
• साम: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यान-अर्थम्: for obtaining a vehicle
• यान-अर्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (for the purpose of)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नरः: man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: obtains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• यानानि: vehicles
• यानानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• शीघ्र-गानि: swift-moving
• शीघ्र-गानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (śīghraṃ gacchanti iti)

• शुभानि: auspicious
• शुभानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from tīrthamāhātmya instructional style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler-devotee at a tīrtha recites Sāman; a chariot/vehicle appears symbolically, horses poised, suggesting swift auspicious conveyance granted by sacred sound.

Characters & Entities

• Rathaṃtara Sāman
• Sāman (Sāmaveda)
• Mantra/Japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic sound (sāman) practiced at a tīrtha is portrayed as empowering safe, auspicious movement and worldly support for dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s tīrtha in Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the precise site-name is not included in the provided verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa/recitation of the Rathaṃtara Sāman at the tīrtha to obtain conveyances.