Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

तपःस्वाध्यायनिरता न्यायधर्मपरायणाः

Transliteration

tapaḥsvādhyāyaniratā nyāyadharmaparāyaṇāḥ

Translation

They are devoted to austerity and self-study, and wholly committed to justice and dharma.

Word by Word

• तपःस्वाध्यायनिरताः: engaged in austerity and self-study
• तपःस्वाध्यायनिरताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त; नि + रम्/रम्? → निरत ‘engaged’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘तपसि स्वाध्याये च निरत’

• न्यायधर्मपरायणाः: devoted to justice and dharma
• न्यायधर्मपरायणाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘न्याये धर्मे च परायण’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics and learned practitioners in a forest hermitage: some in meditation and austerity, others reciting from manuscripts; a subtle motif of scales/straight path symbolizing nyāya.

Characters & Entities

• Tapas
• Svādhyāya
• Nyāya
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness is sustained by inner discipline (tapas), scriptural practice (svādhyāya), and fair conduct (nyāya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the praise of the Dharmāraṇya milieu by highlighting the virtues of its residents.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Svādhyāya (regular sacred recitation/study) is implicitly prescribed as a daily dharmic practice.