Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

मध्ये स्थिते न ते यांति तिर्यग्योनौ कथंचन । अपि पापसमोपेता दोषैः सर्वैः समन्विताः

Transliteration

madhye sthite na te yāṃti tiryagyonau kathaṃcana | api pāpasamopetā doṣaiḥ sarvaiḥ samanvitāḥ

Translation

Abiding within its sacred sphere, they never go to an animal womb (tiryag-yoni) in any way—even if burdened with sins and accompanied by every fault.

Word by Word

• मध्ये: in the middle/within it
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• स्थिते: when (one is) situated/remaining
• स्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

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

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्ता

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Motion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तिर्यग्योनौ: in an animal birth
• तिर्यग्योनौ: Adhikarana (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक् + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (into/among animal wombs)

• कथंचन: in any way (at all)
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (in any way/at all)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Concessive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-शब्दः (even/also)

• पाप: sin
• पाप: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद

• समोपेताः: endowed with/possessed of
• समोपेताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'ते' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• दोषैः: with faults
• दोषैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; साधन/सहकार (with faults)

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'दोषैः' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• समन्विताः: accompanied/filled (with)
• समन्विताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-अन्वि (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'ते' इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (context continues from 23.2)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mṛgatīrtha (kṣetra/maṇḍala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous boundary around Mṛgatīrtha is shown as a sanctified circle; within it, pilgrims stand protected while shadowy forms of lower births remain outside, unable to enter; the tone is protective and wondrous.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛgatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A powerful tīrtha can arrest downward karmic consequences, protecting even the sinful from degrading rebirth when approached within its sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mṛgatīrtha (implied by the continuous narration of Adhyāya 23).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is stated here; the verse highlights the salvific effect of entering/remaining within the tīrtha’s sacred domain.