Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

नियमाः संयमाः सर्वे मंत्रवादास्तथैव च । तीर्थानि म्लेच्छसंस्पर्शाद्दूषितानि शतक्रतो

Transliteration

niyamāḥ saṃyamāḥ sarve maṃtravādāstathaiva ca | tīrthāni mlecchasaṃsparśāddūṣitāni śatakrato

Translation

Ô Śatakratu (Indra), toutes les observances et les disciplines, ainsi que les pratiques de mantras : les tīrtha seront souillés par le contact des mleccha.

Word by Word

• नियमाः: observances, rules
• नियमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• संयमाः: restraints, self-control practices
• संयमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• मन्त्रवादाः: mantra-doctrines/recitations
• मन्त्रवादाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + वाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mantrasya vādaḥ)

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle/emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places, sacred fords
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन

• म्लेच्छसंस्पर्शात्: from contact with mlecchas
• म्लेच्छसंस्पर्शात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: म्लेच्छ + संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mlecchasya saṃsparśaḥ)

• दूषितानि: defiled, polluted
• दूषितानि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूषित (कृदन्त; √दूष् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• शतक्रतो: O Śatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (śataṃ kratavo yasya) इन्द्र-नाम

Speaker

Unknown (addressing Indra, “Śatakratu”; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śatakratu (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A once-lustrous tīrtha with clear waters becomes clouded; Indra (Śatakratu) listens as a sage warns of defilement; pilgrims appear distracted, merchants hawk rituals, and the sacred landscape looks dimmed.

Characters & Entities

• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It stresses that sacred places require purity of conduct; when dharmic discipline collapses, even tīrthas are spoken of as becoming ‘dūṣita’ (tainted).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse comments broadly on tīrthas as a category within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions niyama (observances), saṃyama (restraints), and mantra-vāda (mantra practice), but gives no step-by-step prescription in this verse.