Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तां दृष्ट्वा मानवः सम्यगुपवासपरायणः । मुच्यते हि स्वकात्पापात्तत्क्षणाद्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

tāṃ dṛṣṭvā mānavaḥ samyagupavāsaparāyaṇaḥ | mucyate hi svakātpāpāttatkṣaṇādvijasattamāḥ

Translation

Oh excelentísimos entre los nacidos dos veces: quien contempla ese lugar sagrado con sincera entrega al ayuno (upavāsa) queda liberado de sus propios pecados en ese mismo instante.

Word by Word

• ताम्: her/that (staff)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• मानवः: a man; human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सम्यक्: properly; duly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• उपवासपरायणः: devoted to fasting
• उपवासपरायणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपवास + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उपवासे परायणः)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle)

• स्वकात्: from one’s own
• स्वकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पापात् इत्यस्य)

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment; instantly
• तत्क्षणात्: Apadana/Time-point (Source/Time/अपादान-काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्मिन् क्षणे)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative-sense though nominative form)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa continuing the māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lohayaṣṭi-darśana (within the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-sattamāḥ / Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, having fasted, stands with folded hands before the Lohayaṣṭi; a subtle radiance signifies sins falling away instantly.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of a holy site, supported by sincere upavāsa (fasting), is taught as a powerful purifier that removes sin immediately.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to “that” sacred tīrtha described in the surrounding passage of Nāgarakhaṇḍa, Tīrthamāhātmya, Adhyāya 94 (the specific name is in the nearby verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (religious fasting) as a supportive vow alongside tīrtha-darśana.