Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

मद्भक्त्या योगसिद्धिं त्वं गृहाणाशु तपोधने । अभूतं ज्ञानगम्यं तं विद्धि नारायणं परम्

Transliteration

madbhaktyā yogasiddhiṃ tvaṃ gṛhāṇāśu tapodhane | abhūtaṃ jñānagamyaṃ taṃ viddhi nārāyaṇaṃ param

Translation

Ô trésor d’austérité, par la dévotion envers moi, reçois sans tarder la perfection du yoga. Sache que le suprême Nārāyaṇa—au-delà de tout devenir—est accessible par la connaissance véritable.

Word by Word

• mad-bhaktyā: by devotion to me
• mad-bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (Feminine, instrumental singular)

• yoga-siddhim: yogic attainment
• yoga-siddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Feminine, accusative singular)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Pronoun, nominative singular: 'you')

• gṛhāṇa: accept, take
• gṛhāṇa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (Imperative, 2nd person singular, ātmanepada)

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time/manner: quickly)

• tapo-dhane: O treasure of austerity
• tapo-dhane: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन (Masculine, vocative singular)

• abhūtam: unborn, unmanifest
• abhūtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, accusative singular; adjective)

• jñāna-gamyam: knowable through knowledge
• jñāna-gamyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + gamya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √gam + य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, accusative singular; adjective: 'to be reached/known by knowledge')

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Masculine, accusative singular; pronoun)

• viddhi: know, understand
• viddhi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (Imperative, 2nd person singular, parasmaipada)

• nārāyaṇam: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Masculine, accusative singular)

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, accusative singular; adjective)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deity or divine teacher addresses an ascetic ‘tapodhana’, granting a boon of yogic perfection; behind them a luminous, formless-yet-personal Nārāyaṇa presence is suggested by radiance and śaṅkha-cakra symbols.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti matures into yogic accomplishment, and culminates in knowledge of the Supreme Nārāyaṇa beyond worldly becoming.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The emphasis is on the ‘inner pilgrimage’ (antar-tīrtha): realization of Nārāyaṇa through devotion and knowledge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed; the practice indicated is sustained devotion (bhakti) as the means to yogic and spiritual fulfillment.