Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

उत्तमाः प्रार्थयंति स्म मोक्षमेव हि केवलम् । गता यत्र निवर्तंते न कथंचिद्धरातले

Transliteration

uttamāḥ prārthayaṃti sma mokṣameva hi kevalam | gatā yatra nivartaṃte na kathaṃciddharātale

Translation

Les excellents ne prient que pour la délivrance (mokṣa). Parvenus à cet état, ils ne reviennent en aucune manière au domaine de la terre.

Word by Word

• उत्तमाः: the best (people)
• उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (विशेष्य-लोपे)

• प्रार्थयन्ति: seek; request
• प्रार्थयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्थ् (धातु) (प्र-आ-√अर्थ् → प्रार्थयति)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative/णिजन्त-प्रयोगः (प्रार्थयति)

• स्म: indeed; (narrative particle)
• स्म: Sambandha/Avyaya (tense nuance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; भूतार्थे/अनुवादक-निपात (particle indicating past/habitual narration)

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एव: only
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (restriction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (restrictive particle)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha/Avyaya (reason/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ-निपात (causal/emphatic particle)

• केवलम्: alone; exclusive
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मोक्षम् इति विशेष्यस्य)

• गताः: having gone; gone
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक (relative locative adverb: where)

• निवर्तन्ते: return; turn back
• निवर्तन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु) (नि-√वृत्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Avyaya (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• कथंचित्: in any way; ever
• कथंचित्: Sambandha/Avyaya (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: in any way)

• धरातले: on the earth
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'धरायाः तलम्'

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (continuing their statement/contextual framing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene depiction of an uttama seeker praying only for mokṣa; the earth realm fades behind while a luminous, formless or subtle ‘state’ is indicated—suggesting cessation of return; Sūta’s narration frames the ideal.

Characters & Entities

• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest aim is mokṣa—freedom that ends the cycle of return to worldly existence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse states the doctrine of liberation rather than naming a site; the kṣetra context is supplied by the surrounding chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it highlights intention (prārthanā) for mokṣa as the mark of the uttama.