Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

लभेरंश्च कथं सर्वतीर्थानां स्नानजं फलम् । देवदर्शनजं वापि विशेषान्निर्धनाश्च ये

Transliteration

labheraṃśca kathaṃ sarvatīrthānāṃ snānajaṃ phalam | devadarśanajaṃ vāpi viśeṣānnirdhanāśca ye

Translation

Comment pourraient-ils obtenir le fruit né du bain dans tous les tīrthas, et aussi le mérite né de la vision des dieux, surtout ceux qui sont pauvres et démunis de moyens ?

Word by Word

• लभेरन्: might obtain
• लभेरन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

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

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम् (interrogative adverb)

• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: of all sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम्; ‘of all tīrthas’

• स्नानजम्: arising from bathing
• स्नानजम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; ‘born from bathing’

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• देवदर्शनजम्: arising from beholding the deity
• देवदर्शनजम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + दर्शन + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘born from seeing the deity’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्ययम् (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-अव्ययम् (also/even)

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे ‘especially/particularly’

• निर्धनाः: poor
• निर्धनाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

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

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Narrative question (contextual voice within Sūta’s narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūtanandana / Śaunaka-group

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Poor pilgrims with simple cloth and water-pot stand before a distant panorama of famed tīrthas; a compassionate sage gestures toward a nearer shrine/river, implying an accessible path.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• deva-darśana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic Dharma recognizes practical limits—poverty and time—and seeks inclusive paths to spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site; the verse speaks collectively of “all tīrthas” and the merit of visiting them.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The rituals referenced are tīrtha-snāna (sacred bathing) and deva-darśana (seeing the deity), without detailing a procedure.