Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

नित्योपवासनियमैः स्नानदानैर्जपादिभिः । निर्मलैर्योगयुक्तैश्च प्राप्यते यत्परं पदम्

Transliteration

nityopavāsaniyamaiḥ snānadānairjapādibhiḥ | nirmalairyogayuktaiśca prāpyate yatparaṃ padam

Translation

«Par les jeûnes quotidiens et les observances, par les bains rituels, l’aumône, la récitation (japa) et le reste—par des pratiques pures unies au yoga—on atteint cet état suprême.»

Word by Word

• नित्य: daily, constant
• नित्य: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (उपवासनियमैः इत्यस्य) — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; adjective

• उपवास: fasting
• उपवास: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• नियमैः: observances, disciplines
• नियमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• स्नान: bathing
• स्नान: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्वे पूर्वपदम् — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; member of dvandva with दान

• दानैः: gifts, charity
• दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; स्नानदानैः इति समाहार-द्वन्द्वः — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; part of dvandva ‘bathing and giving’

• जप: recitation (of mantra)
• जप: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; जपादिभिः इत्यस्य पूर्वपदम् — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; first member of ‘japa etc.’

• आदिभिः: and other (practices)
• आदिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘इत्यादि’ अर्थे — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; in sense of ‘and the like’

• निर्मलैः: pure
• निर्मलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (योगयुक्तैः) — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; adjective

• योगयुक्तैः: endowed with yoga, disciplined
• योगयुक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (योगेन युक्तः) — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; past participle used adjectivally

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction) — coordinating particle

• प्राप्यते: is attained
• प्राप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive) — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Passive

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; relative pronoun

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (पदम्) — Neuter, Nominative, Singular; adjective

• पदम्: state, abode, position
• पदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Daitya (Tala) to Viṣṇu (continuing reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic montage: pilgrims bathing at a sacred shore, giving alms, counting japa beads, and meditating; above them a radiant ‘supreme abode’ symbol (Vaikuṇṭha-like light) indicating paraṃ padam.

Characters & Entities

• Upavāsa
• Snāna
• Dāna
• Japa
• Yoga
• Paramam Padam (supreme abode)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of life—supported by vrata-like discipline, charity, mantra-recitation, and yoga—leads toward the supreme goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though not named in this verse, the teaching is embedded in Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, aligning spiritual practice with sacred-place discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting), niyama (observances), snāna (ritual bathing), dāna (charity), and japa (recitation) are explicitly listed.