Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

पुष्करे दुष्करं स्नानं पुष्करे दुष्करं तपः । पुष्करे दुष्करो वासः सर्वं पुष्करदुष्करम्

Transliteration

puṣkare duṣkaraṃ snānaṃ puṣkare duṣkaraṃ tapaḥ | puṣkare duṣkaro vāsaḥ sarvaṃ puṣkaraduṣkaram

Translation

In Puṣkara ist das heilige Bad beschwerlich; in Puṣkara ist die Askese (tapas) beschwerlich; in Puṣkara ist selbst das Wohnen beschwerlich—alles in Puṣkara ist schwer (und darum höchst verdienstvoll).

Word by Word

• पुष्करे: in Puṣkara
• पुष्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in Puṣkara’

• दुष्करम्: difficult
• दुष्करम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying snānam)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुष्करे: in Puṣkara
• पुष्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दुष्करम्: difficult
• दुष्करम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tapaḥ)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुष्करे: in Puṣkara
• पुष्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दुष्करः: difficult
• दुष्करः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying vāsaḥ)

• वासः: dwelling/stay
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘everything’ (as a whole)

• पुष्करदुष्करम्: difficult in/at Puṣkara
• पुष्करदुष्करम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्कर-दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक; पुष्कर + दुष्कर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (‘Puṣkara-related and difficult’)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims traverse a sunlit, arid landscape around Puṣkara; one performs snāna at the ghāṭa, another sits in meditation under sparse trees; the scene emphasizes heat, austerity, and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Snāna
• Tapaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hardship embraced in a sacred place becomes tapas; difficulty itself is framed as spiritually elevating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara is praised as a potent but demanding pilgrimage-field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing), tapas (austerity), and vāsa (staying at the tīrtha) are highlighted as key practices.