Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

विप्रभक्त्या च दानेन विष्णुध्यानेन सिद्ध्यति । तासां मन्त्रो रामनाम ध्येयः कोट्यधिको भवेत्

Transliteration

viprabhaktyā ca dānena viṣṇudhyānena siddhyati | tāsāṃ mantro rāmanāma dhyeyaḥ koṭyadhiko bhavet

Translation

Por la devoción a los brāhmaṇas, por la caridad y por la meditación en Viṣṇu, se logra la realización. Para ellos, el mantra es el Nombre de Rāma, digno de ser contemplado, superior a otros mantras por decenas de millones.

Word by Word

• विप्रभक्त्या: by devotion to Brahmins
• विप्रभक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र-भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; ‘विप्रे’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्रे भक्तिः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• दानेन: by giving (charity)
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विष्णुध्यानेन: by meditation on Viṣṇu
• विष्णुध्यानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु-ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः ध्यानम्)

• सिद्ध्यति: is accomplished / succeeds
• सिद्ध्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तासाम्: of those (things/ways)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मन्त्रः: the mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रामनाम: the name ‘Rāma’
• रामनाम: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम-नाम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रामस्य नाम)

• ध्येयः: to be meditated upon
• ध्येयः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्येय (कृदन्त; ध्यै धातु)
• Form: क्तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• कोट्यधिकः: exceeding by a crore
• कोट्यधिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि-अधिक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कोट्या अधिकः)

• भवेत्: would be / may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिङ्-लकार (विधिलिङ्/सम्भावना), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers alms to a brāhmaṇa near a tīrtha; behind them, Viṣṇu is envisioned in meditation; above, the words ‘RĀMA’ appear as luminous syllables, indicating nāma as mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Rāma
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through reverence, charity, and Viṣṇu-meditation culminates in success; Rāma-nāma is elevated as an exceptionally powerful practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises nāma-japa rather than a named location; it functions as a portable ‘tīrtha of the tongue’ within the travel-and-merit theme.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice vipra-bhakti, give dāna, meditate on Viṣṇu, and adopt Rāma-nāma as the meditative mantra.