Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

गुरुत्वं स्थानमसकृदनुभूय महामतिः । जीवन्विष्णुत्वमासाद्य कर्म संगात्प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

gurutvaṃ sthānamasakṛdanubhūya mahāmatiḥ | jīvanviṣṇutvamāsādya karma saṃgātpramucyate

Translation

Ayant maintes fois éprouvé l’état de véritable autorité spirituelle (gurutva), l’âme magnanime atteint la « condition de Viṣṇu » dès cette vie et se délivre de l’attachement aux actes (karma).

Word by Word

• गुरुत्वम्: heaviness; gravity; (spiritual) weightiness
• गुरुत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• स्थानम्: state, position, abode
• स्थानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• असकृत्: repeatedly, again and again
• असकृत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of frequency)

• अनुभूय: having experienced
• अनुभूय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having experienced)

• महामतिः: the great-minded one
• महामतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular); बहुव्रीहिरूपेण ‘महती मतिर्यस्य’ इत्यर्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते

• जीवन्: living
• जीवन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आसाद्य-क्रियायाः सह समन्वयः

• विष्णुत्वम्: Vishnu-hood; the state of being Vishnu
• विष्णुत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• आसाद्य: having attained
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having attained/reached)

• कर्म: karma, action (as bondage)
• कर्म: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• संगात्: from attachment/association
• संगात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• प्रमुच्यते: is released, is freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Īśvara (carried over from context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great-minded yogin stands calm, radiating ‘gurutva’ like a mountain; behind him Viṣṇu’s attributes subtly appear as light (conch, discus) without literal possession, indicating viṣṇutva; karmic bonds depicted as threads falling away.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇutva
• karma-saṅga
• guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual maturity culminates in living liberation—freedom from karma-attachment—and a divine, Viṣṇu-like state.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is transmitted within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya framework of Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it emphasizes experiential realization and detachment from karma-saṅga.