Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

गृह्यतां नगरश्रेष्ठं प्रसीदध्वं द्विजोत्तमाः । अत्र भक्तिश्च मुक्तिश्च भविष्यति न संशयः

Transliteration

gṛhyatāṃ nagaraśreṣṭhaṃ prasīdadhvaṃ dvijottamāḥ | atra bhaktiśca muktiśca bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Nehmt diese vortrefflichste Stadt an, o ihr Besten der Zweimalgeborenen; seid gnädig. Hier werden sowohl Bhakti als auch Mokṣa entstehen — daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• गृह्यताम्: let (it) be accepted
• गृह्यताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लकारः-लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), पुरुषः-प्रथम (3rd), वचनम्-एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (Passive sense): ‘let it be accepted/taken’

• नगरश्रेष्ठम्: the best city
• नगरश्रेष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः-षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: ‘of the city’ → ‘best among cities’); लिङ्गम्-नपुंसक, विभक्तिः-द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), वचनम्-एकवचन

• प्रसीदध्वम्: be pleased
• प्रसीदध्वम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सद् (धातु) उपसर्गः-प्र
• Form: लकारः-लोट् (Imperative), पुरुषः-मध्यम (2nd), वचनम्-बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपदम्

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः-कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (appositional: ‘excellent brahmins’); लिङ्गम्-पुंलिङ्ग, विभक्तिः-प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), वचनम्-बहुवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लिङ्गम्-स्त्रीलिङ्ग, विभक्तिः-प्रथमा, वचनम्-एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लिङ्गम्-स्त्रीलिङ्ग, विभक्तिः-प्रथमा, वचनम्-एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लकारः-लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), पुरुषः-प्रथम (3rd), वचनम्-एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लिङ्गम्-पुंलिङ्ग, विभक्तिः-प्रथमा, वचनम्-एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa/Nagnahara-associated nagara (best city)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśvara addressing assembled brāhmaṇas, offering them the ‘best city’ and promising bhakti and mukti; a sacred cityscape with temple spires and coastal horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brāhmaṇas
• Uṇṇata (city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a true tīrtha, devotion matures into liberation; sacred space supports both practice (bhakti) and ultimate goal (mukti).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Uṇṇata-nagara within Prabhāsa Kṣetra, praised as a supreme city granting bhakti and mukti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; an invitation to accept/reside in the sacred city is given, with promised spiritual outcomes.