Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

परोपकारसंयुक्तो नित्यं जपपरायणः । स्वाध्यायनिरतश्चैव न याति नरकं द्विज

Transliteration

paropakārasaṃyukto nityaṃ japaparāyaṇaḥ | svādhyāyanirataścaiva na yāti narakaṃ dvija

Translation

Ô brāhmane, celui qui s’unit au service d’autrui, demeure assidu au japa quotidien et s’applique sans cesse au svādhyāya (l’étude sacrée), ne va pas en enfer.

Word by Word

• परोपकारसंयुक्तः: engaged in helping others
• परोपकारसंयुक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परोपकार (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (परोपकारेण संयुक्तः = engaged in helping others)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• जपपरायणः: devoted to recitation (japa)
• जपपरायणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जपे परायणः = devoted to japa)

• स्वाध्यायनिरतः: engaged in Vedic study
• स्वाध्यायनिरतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वाध्याये निरतः = engaged in self-study)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

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

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विज: O twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Yama (contextual, continuing instruction in this passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija/brāhmaṇa (explicitly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa listens as Yama enumerates three pillars: helping a needy family, counting japa on a mālā, and reading from a palm-leaf manuscript; the atmosphere is quiet and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily mantra-japa, scriptural study, and selfless service together form a protective dharma that leads away from naraka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as general tīrtha-māhātmya instruction within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, emphasizing conduct that supports tīrtha-benefits rather than naming a single site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular japa (mantra repetition) and svādhyāya (recitation/study of sacred texts).