Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

ततःप्रभृति लोकेऽत्र पुरुषा मुक्तिमिच्छवः । दूरतोऽपि समभ्येत्य स्वान्प्राणांस्तत्र तत्यजुः

Transliteration

tataḥprabhṛti loke'tra puruṣā muktimicchavaḥ | dūrato'pi samabhyetya svānprāṇāṃstatra tatyajuḥ

Translation

Von da an kamen in dieser Welt Männer, die nach Befreiung verlangten, selbst aus der Ferne herbei und gaben dort ihr Leben hin.

Word by Word

• ततःप्रभृति: from that time onward
• ततःप्रभृति: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय) + प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समास (अव्ययीभाव); कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal indeclinable): "from then onwards"

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पुरुषाः: people, men
• पुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); बहुवचन

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन

• इच्छवः: desiring
• इच्छवः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इच्छु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पुरुषाः): "desiring"

• दूरतः: from far away
• दूरतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (adverb indicating distance/source): "from afar"

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (even/also)

• समभ्येत्य: having approached
• समभ्येत्य: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive); अव्ययभाव; "having come near/approached"

• स्वान्: their own
• स्वान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying प्राणान्): "their own"

• प्राणान्: life-breaths, lives
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place): "there"

• तत्यजुः: they abandoned, gave up
• तत्यजुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrative continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Suparṇākhya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (sages) as audience of the māhātmya discourse (chapter frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims arriving from distant lands to Suparṇākhya within Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra; some sit in solemn resolve, relinquishing life with minds fixed on liberation; the kṣetra is shown as serene, sanctified, and protective.

Characters & Entities

• Suparṇākhya
• Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra
• Mukti-seekers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A celebrated tīrtha becomes a beacon for seekers, drawing pilgrims who prioritize liberation over worldly attachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Suparṇākhya within the Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Coming to the tīrtha with mokṣa-intent; the broader passage associates this with prāyopaveśa/anaśana.