Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

एतदेव परं ज्ञानमेतदेव परं तपः । एतदेव परं श्रेयो यत्कृष्णे कर्मणोऽर्पणम्

Transliteration

etadeva paraṃ jñānametadeva paraṃ tapaḥ | etadeva paraṃ śreyo yatkṛṣṇe karmaṇo'rpaṇam

Translation

This alone is the highest knowledge; this alone is the highest austerity. This alone is the supreme good: offering one’s actions to Kṛṣṇa.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• एव: alone, indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ज्ञानम्-विशेषणम्

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• एव: alone, indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तपः-विशेषणम्

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• एव: alone, indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; श्रेयः-विशेषणम्

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकं (relative pronoun)

• कृष्णे: in/unto Krishna
• कृष्णे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• कर्मणः: of action
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• अर्पणम्: offering, dedication
• अर्पणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्पण (प्रातिपदिक; √अर्प्/अर्पय् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

Speaker

Unknown (Tīrthamāhātmya context; internal narrator not provided in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands at a tīrtha ghat with hands raised, offering the fruits of all actions to Kṛṣṇa; above, Kṛṣṇa appears as the inner witness receiving the offering, radiating calm brilliance.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The peak of knowledge, austerity, and welfare is dedicating all karma to Kṛṣṇa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a doctrinal teaching within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Karma-arpana—dedicating one’s deeds to Kṛṣṇa—is taught as the essential spiritual practice.