Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

नान्यथा घोरजाप्येन तीर्यते भवसागरः । मया सम्यक्परिज्ञातमेतच्छास्त्रसमागमात्

Transliteration

nānyathā ghorajāpyena tīryate bhavasāgaraḥ | mayā samyakparijñātametacchāstrasamāgamāt

Translation

L’océan du devenir mondain ne peut être traversé autrement que par un japa ardent. Je l’ai compris avec justesse grâce au témoignage concordant des Écritures.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

• घोरजाप्येन: by severe repetition (of mantra)
• घोरजाप्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घोर + जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (घोरं जाप्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; करण

• तीर्यते: is crossed
• तीर्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• भवसागरः: ocean of worldly existence
• भवसागरः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भवस्य सागरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartā (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सम्यक्: properly, thoroughly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: properly)

• परिज्ञातम्: fully known/ascertained
• परिज्ञातम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग) + ज्ञात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावे 'known/ascertained'

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शास्त्रसमागमात्: from the study/consultation of scriptures
• शास्त्रसमागमात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र + समागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (शास्त्रस्य समागमः/समागमात्); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; अपादान

Speaker

Narrator/teacher in the Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual; likely a tapasvī/ācārya figure within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A focused sādhaka seated in padmāsana beside a riverbank/temple precinct, counting rudrākṣa beads; behind, a symbolic ocean with a small boat made of mantra-light crossing waves.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is presented as dependent on sustained, intense japa; scripture-backed practice, not mere theory, carries one beyond saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the immediate shloka emphasizes practice (japa) more than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ghora-japa (intense mantra repetition) is prescribed as the decisive means for crossing the ocean of worldly existence.