Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

नारायणो वसेद्देहे ज्ञानं तस्य प्रजायते । जीवन्मुक्तः स भवति महापातककारकः

Transliteration

nārāyaṇo vaseddehe jñānaṃ tasya prajāyate | jīvanmuktaḥ sa bhavati mahāpātakakārakaḥ

Translation

Nārāyaṇa comes to dwell within one’s body, and knowledge arises in that person. He becomes liberated while living—even if he had been a perpetrator of great sins.

Word by Word

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• वसेत्: may dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (may dwell)

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (locative singular)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (genitive singular)

• प्रजायते: arises
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (arises/is born)

• जीवन्मुक्तः: liberated while living
• जीवन्मुक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (जीवन् एव मुक्तः) (nom sg)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nominative singular pronoun)

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महापातककारकः: a doer/causer of great sins
• महापातककारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पातक + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महापातकस्य कारकः) (nom sg)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in meditation; within the subtle body a radiant Nārāyaṇa appears in the heart-lotus; dark forms of sins dissolve into light as jñāna dawns, signifying jīvanmukti.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Jīvanmukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True observance leads to inner divinity and awakening of knowledge, powerful enough to redeem even grave wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse highlights inner transformation (indwelling Nārāyaṇa) within the broader tīrtha-glorification narrative of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is steadfast performance of the praised observance, resulting in jñāna, purification, and jīvanmukti.