Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

स्वर्गद्वारे परा सिद्धिः स्वर्गद्वारे परा गतिः । जप्तं दत्तं हुतं दृष्टं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् । ध्यानमध्ययनं सर्वं दानं भवति चाक्षयम्

Transliteration

svargadvāre parā siddhiḥ svargadvāre parā gatiḥ | japtaṃ dattaṃ hutaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat | dhyānamadhyayanaṃ sarvaṃ dānaṃ bhavati cākṣayam

Translation

In Svargadvāra ist die höchste Vollendung; in Svargadvāra ist das erhabenste Ziel. Was immer in japa rezitiert wird, was immer als Gabe gespendet wird, was immer dem Feuer dargebracht wird, was immer besucht und verehrt wird, welche Askese auch geübt und welche Tat auch vollbracht wird—jede Meditation, jedes Studium und jede Spende wird unvergänglich.

Word by Word

• svargadvāre: at Svarga-dvāra
• svargadvāre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; समासः: स्वर्गस्य द्वारे (at the gate of heaven)

• parā: supreme
• parā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• siddhiḥ: success; accomplishment
• siddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• svargadvāre: at Svarga-dvāra
• svargadvāre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• parā: supreme
• parā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• gatiḥ: going; destination
• gatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• japtam: (what is) recited
• japtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (that which is) recited

• dattam: (what is) given
• dattam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (what is) given

• hutam: (what is) offered (as oblation)
• hutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (what is) offered in fire

• dṛṣṭam: (what is) seen
• dṛṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (what is) seen

• tapas: austerity; penance
• tapas: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• taptam: performed (as penance)
• taptam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (austerity) performed

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (what is) done

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधकं (relative: whatever)

• dhyānam: meditation
• dhyānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• adhyayanam: study; recitation
• adhyayanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• dānam: gift; charity
• dānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• bhavati: becomes
• bhavati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• akṣayam: imperishable; inexhaustible
• akṣayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; नञ्-समास/उपसर्गार्थः (imperishable)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svargadvāra (Ayodhyā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Svargadvāra, multiple vignettes unfold: a sage chanting japa, a donor giving alms, a priest tending homa flames, an ascetic in tapas, a student reciting Veda, and a meditator—each act rising as imperishable light toward a celestial path.

Characters & Entities

• Svargadvāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography matters: actions performed at an exalted tīrtha yield inexhaustible (akṣaya) spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Svargadvāra in Ayodhyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa, dāna (charity), homa (fire-offering), darśana/visitation, tapas (austerity), dhyāna (meditation), and adhyayana (study) are praised as becoming akṣaya when done there.