Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

विप्रभक्त्या च दानेन विष्णुध्यानेन सिद्ध्यति । तासां मन्त्रो रामनाम ध्येयः कोट्यधिको भवेत्

Transliteration

viprabhaktyā ca dānena viṣṇudhyānena siddhyati | tāsāṃ mantro rāmanāma dhyeyaḥ koṭyadhiko bhavet

Translation

Par la dévotion envers les brāhmaṇa, par la charité et par la méditation sur Viṣṇu, l’accomplissement s’obtient. Pour eux, le mantra est le Nom de Rāma, digne d’être médité, surpassant les autres mantras par des dizaines de millions.

Word by Word

• विप्रभक्त्या: by devotion to Brahmins
• विप्रभक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र-भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; ‘विप्रे’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्रे भक्तिः)

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

• दानेन: by giving (charity)
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विष्णुध्यानेन: by meditation on Viṣṇu
• विष्णुध्यानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु-ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः ध्यानम्)

• सिद्ध्यति: is accomplished / succeeds
• सिद्ध्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तासाम्: of those (things/ways)
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• रामनाम: the name ‘Rāma’
• रामनाम: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम-नाम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रामस्य नाम)

• ध्येयः: to be meditated upon
• ध्येयः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्येय (कृदन्त; ध्यै धातु)
• Form: क्तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• कोट्यधिकः: exceeding by a crore
• कोट्यधिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि-अधिक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कोट्या अधिकः)

• भवेत्: would be / may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिङ्-लकार (विधिलिङ्/सम्भावना), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers alms to a brāhmaṇa near a tīrtha; behind them, Viṣṇu is envisioned in meditation; above, the words ‘RĀMA’ appear as luminous syllables, indicating nāma as mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Rāma
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expressed through reverence, charity, and Viṣṇu-meditation culminates in success; Rāma-nāma is elevated as an exceptionally powerful practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises nāma-japa rather than a named location; it functions as a portable ‘tīrtha of the tongue’ within the travel-and-merit theme.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice vipra-bhakti, give dāna, meditate on Viṣṇu, and adopt Rāma-nāma as the meditative mantra.