Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

प्रकृतीनां च सर्वासां न मन्त्रो द्वादशाक्षरः । न जपो न तपः कार्यं कायक्लेशाद्विशुद्धिता

Transliteration

prakṛtīnāṃ ca sarvāsāṃ na mantro dvādaśākṣaraḥ | na japo na tapaḥ kāryaṃ kāyakleśādviśuddhitā

Translation

Et pour toutes ces personnes, le Mantra aux Douze Syllabes ne doit pas être pris pour mantra. Qu’on n’entreprenne ni japa ni austérité : il n’est point de purification par la souffrance du corps.

Word by Word

• प्रकृतीनाम्: of natures/constitutions (prakṛtis)
• प्रकृतीनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सर्वासाम्: of all
• सर्वासाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying प्रकृतीनाम्)

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

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• द्वादशाक्षरः: twelve-syllabled
• द्वादशाक्षरः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश-अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (द्वादश अक्षराणि यस्य)

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

• जपः: recitation
• जपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: to be done, necessary
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त (भाव्य/कर्तव्य: gerundive)

• कायक्लेशात्: from bodily mortification
• कायक्लेशात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय-क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कायस्य क्लेशः)

• विशुद्धिता: purification
• विशुद्धिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side, a figure attempting harsh penance (emaciated, sun-exposed); on the other, a calm devotee offering simple service and remembrance—light falls on the latter, indicating true śuddhi without kāya-kleśa.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual purity is not equated with harsh bodily suffering; practice should align with one’s proper method and capacity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named site appears; the verse continues a doctrinal instruction within the tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It discourages bodily-mortification-based tapas and indicates that the dvādaśākṣara is not the prescribed mantra for all categories implied by the context.