Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

नास्ति गंगासमं तीर्थं नास्ति देवो हरोपमः । शिवरात्रेः परं नास्ति तपः सत्यं मयोदितम्

Transliteration

nāsti gaṃgāsamaṃ tīrthaṃ nāsti devo haropamaḥ | śivarātreḥ paraṃ nāsti tapaḥ satyaṃ mayoditam

Translation

No hay lugar de peregrinación igual al Gaṅgā; no hay deidad comparable a Hara (Śiva). Y no hay austeridad más alta que Śivarātri: esta verdad he proclamado.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• gaṅgā-samam: equal to the Gaṅgā
• gaṅgā-samam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः (gaṅgāyāḥ samam = equal to Gaṅgā)

• tīrtham: pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• devaḥ: a god
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन

• hara-upamaḥ: comparable to Hara (Śiva)
• hara-upamaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः (harasya upamaḥ = comparable to Hara)

• śivarātreḥ: of Śivarātri
• śivarātreḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivarātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन

• param: superior (to)
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तुलनार्थे (in comparison: 'beyond/superior to')

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• satyam: true
• satyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन

• uditam: uttered/declared
• uditam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udita (उदित कृदन्त; √vad/√vac? here from √vad 'to say' as 'udita' = said/uttered)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (said/uttered)

Speaker

Narrative voice within the Māhātmya (contextual; not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implied in the unit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand triptych-like vision: the flowing Gaṅgā, the majestic form of Hara, and devotees observing Śivarātri with lamps and vigil—presented as three peaks of sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Hara (Śiva)
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma ranks sacred geography (Gaṅgā), divine refuge (Śiva), and sacred time/vrata (Śivarātri) as unsurpassed means to merit and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is explicitly praised as the unsurpassed tīrtha; the wider narrative remains within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri is identified as the supreme tapas—implying observance of the Śivarātri vrata.