Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

यत्रैते मुनयः शांता दांताश्चाष्टगुणे रताः । तपरता महाभागाः स्नानजप्ययपरायणाः

Transliteration

yatraite munayaḥ śāṃtā dāṃtāścāṣṭaguṇe ratāḥ | taparatā mahābhāgāḥ snānajapyayaparāyaṇāḥ

Translation

Là, ces sages (munis) sont paisibles et maîtres d’eux-mêmes, voués aux huit vertus ; appliqués à l’austérité (tapas), grandement fortunés, et entièrement dédiés aux rites du bain sacré et à la discipline du japa.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय — relative adverb (where)

• एते: these
• एते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• शान्ताः: peaceful
• शान्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (कृदन्त; √शम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; भूतकृदन्त

• दान्ताः: self-controlled
• दान्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त (कृदन्त; √दम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; भूतकृदन्त

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

• अष्ट-गुणे: in the eightfold qualities/virtues
• अष्ट-गुणे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन — Locative singular; द्विगु-समास

• रताः: engaged, devoted
• रताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (कृदन्त; √रम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; भूतकृदन्त

• तपः-रताः: devoted to austerity
• तपः-रताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त; √रम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसि रताः)

• महाभागाः: greatly fortunate/noble ones
• महाभागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; बहुव्रीहि (महान् भागः यस्य)

• स्नान-जप्य-यज्ञ-परायणाः: wholly devoted to bathing, recitation, and sacrifice
• स्नान-जप्य-यज्ञ-परायणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + जप्य (कृदन्त; √जप् धातु, यत्/ण्यत्) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; समाहार/तत्पुरुषार्थ (स्नाने जप्ये यज्ञे च परायणाः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic frame narrator; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta-kṣetra (āśrama-tīrtha ambience)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene hermitage scene: peaceful sages seated near water, performing japa with mālā, some returning from ritual bathing; atmosphere of restraint and luminous calm.

Characters & Entities

• munis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place is recognized by holy conduct—peace, restraint, virtue, tapas, and steady japa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the sanctity of the locale through the sages’ practices, but does not name the tīrtha explicitly here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) and japa (muttered recitation) are highlighted as the sages’ primary observances.