Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

निष्कामस्तु पुनर्मर्त्यो यः स्नानं तत्र भक्तितः । कुरुते याति लोकं स देवदेवस्य चक्रिणः

Transliteration

niṣkāmastu punarmartyo yaḥ snānaṃ tatra bhaktitaḥ | kurute yāti lokaṃ sa devadevasya cakriṇaḥ

Translation

Doch der wunschlose Sterbliche, der dort in Hingabe badet, gelangt in die Welt des Herrn, der das Diskusrad trägt, des Gottes der Götter.

Word by Word

• निष्कामः: desireless
• निष्कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्काम (प्रातिपदिक; निḥ+काम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• पुनः: again; moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• स्नानम्: bath; bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• भक्तितः: out of devotion; with devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (in the sense of cause/manner)

• कुरुते: does; performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• याति: goes; attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लोकम्: world; realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देश (correlative pronoun)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः)

• चक्रिणः: of the discus-bearer (Viṣṇu)
• चक्रिणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेष्य (epithet)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomukha Tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience within the māhātmya frame (traditionally sages/śaunaka-type assembly depending on recension)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, calm and desireless, performs a reverent bath at Gomukha Tīrtha; above, Viṣṇu as Cakrin (discus-bearing) radiates, indicating Viṣṇuloka as the fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Cakrin, Devadeva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When pilgrimage is done without desire (niṣkāma) and with devotion, it becomes a direct means to divine attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomukha-tīrtha, where devotional bathing is said to grant Viṣṇu’s realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha, performed bhaktitaḥ (with devotion) and niṣkāma (without selfish aims).