Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

नित्योपवासनियमैः स्नानदानैर्जपादिभिः । निर्मलैर्योगयुक्तैश्च प्राप्यते यत्परं पदम्

Transliteration

nityopavāsaniyamaiḥ snānadānairjapādibhiḥ | nirmalairyogayuktaiśca prāpyate yatparaṃ padam

Translation

„Durch tägliches Fasten und Gelübde, durch rituelles Bad, Spenden, Japa-Rezitation und dergleichen — durch reine Übungen, mit Yoga verbunden — wird jener höchste Stand erlangt.“

Word by Word

• नित्य: daily, constant
• नित्य: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (उपवासनियमैः इत्यस्य) — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; adjective

• उपवास: fasting
• उपवास: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• नियमैः: observances, disciplines
• नियमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• स्नान: bathing
• स्नान: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्वे पूर्वपदम् — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; member of dvandva with दान

• दानैः: gifts, charity
• दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; स्नानदानैः इति समाहार-द्वन्द्वः — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; part of dvandva ‘bathing and giving’

• जप: recitation (of mantra)
• जप: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; जपादिभिः इत्यस्य पूर्वपदम् — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; first member of ‘japa etc.’

• आदिभिः: and other (practices)
• आदिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘इत्यादि’ अर्थे — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; in sense of ‘and the like’

• निर्मलैः: pure
• निर्मलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (योगयुक्तैः) — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; adjective

• योगयुक्तैः: endowed with yoga, disciplined
• योगयुक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (योगेन युक्तः) — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; past participle used adjectivally

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction) — coordinating particle

• प्राप्यते: is attained
• प्राप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive) — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Passive

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; relative pronoun

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (पदम्) — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; adjective

• पदम्: state, abode, position
• पदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Daitya (Tala) to Viṣṇu (continuing reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic montage: pilgrims bathing at a sacred shore, giving alms, counting japa beads, and meditating; above them a radiant ‘supreme abode’ symbol (Vaikuṇṭha-like light) indicating paraṃ padam.

Characters & Entities

• Upavāsa
• Snāna
• Dāna
• Japa
• Yoga
• Paramam Padam (supreme abode)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of life—supported by vrata-like discipline, charity, mantra-recitation, and yoga—leads toward the supreme goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though not named in this verse, the teaching is embedded in Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, aligning spiritual practice with sacred-place discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting), niyama (observances), snāna (ritual bathing), dāna (charity), and japa (recitation) are explicitly listed.