Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

पुण्यदानेन याम्येन मुक्तिर्भवति शाश्वती । वर्णैस्तथाश्रमैरेव प्रणवेन समन्वितैः

Transliteration

puṇyadānena yāmyena muktirbhavati śāśvatī | varṇaistathāśramaireva praṇavena samanvitaiḥ

Translation

By meritorious giving—according to the prescribed rule—there arises everlasting liberation; this is taught for the social orders and life‑stages, when conjoined with the Praṇava (Oṃ).

Word by Word

• पुण्यदानेन: by meritorious giving
• पुण्यदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य-दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यस्य दानम्)

• याम्येन: pertaining to Yama / of the southern (rite)
• याम्येन: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पुण्यदानेन)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवति: arises, occurs
• भवति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शाश्वती: eternal
• शाश्वती: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying मुक्तिः)

• वर्णैः: with/through the varṇas (classes/sounds)
• वर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: likewise)

• आश्रमैः: with/through the āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• प्रणवेन: with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• समन्वितैः: endowed/combined (with)
• समन्वितैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; √अन्वि/अनु+√इ भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a tīrtha offers regulated gifts (cloth, food, gold, cows) to a learned brāhmaṇa; above, a subtle Oṃ radiates, signifying praṇava-sañyoga and liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Varṇa
• Āśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna performed in a dharmic manner, aligned with one’s disciplined life, is portrayed as a cause of enduring liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular tīrtha is not named in this verse; it gives general dharma guidance within the tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform puṇya-dāna according to injunctions; for those qualified within varṇāśrama, practice is stated as accompanied by the praṇava (Oṃ).