Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

किं पुनर्ये नरास्तत्र कृत्वा प्रायोपवेशनम् । संन्यस्ताः श्रद्धयोपेता हृदयस्थे जनार्दने

Transliteration

kiṃ punarye narāstatra kṛtvā prāyopaveśanam | saṃnyastāḥ śraddhayopetā hṛdayasthe janārdane

Translation

ましてや、そこでプラーヨーパヴェーシャナ（死に至る断食）を行い、いっさいを捨て、信を具え、心中にジャナールダナを宿す人々は、いかにいっそう福徳に満ちていることか。

Word by Word

• kim: how much more
• kim: Prashna/Avadhāraṇa (Rhetorical)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय; ‘किं पुनः’ = ‘how much more’ (अधिक्यार्थे)

• punaḥ: moreover
• punaḥ: Discourse adverb
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अधिक्यार्थक

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• narāḥ: men
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• prāyopaveśanam: fasting unto death (sitting in resolve)
• prāyopaveśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāya-upaveśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (प्रायः/प्राय- = मरणपर्यन्तं, उपवेशनम् = उपवेशः)

• saṃnyastāḥ: renounced
• saṃnyastāḥ: Karta (Qualified subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ni-as (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘त्यक्त/संन्यासयुक्त’ अर्थे

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• upetāḥ: endowed (with)
• upetāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-i (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘युक्त/समन्वित’ अर्थे

• hṛdayasthe: in the heart-abiding
• hṛdayasthe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛdaya + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हृदये स्थितः)

• janārdane: in Janārdana (Vishnu)
• janārdane: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विष्णोः नाम

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-uttamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renunciate seated on kuśa grass near a shrine/river within the kṣetra, emaciated yet radiant, hands in añjali, eyes half-closed; within his chest a subtle icon of Janārdana glowing, while attendants maintain silence and offer water for ācamana until the final moment.

Characters & Entities

• prāyopaveśana
• Janārdana
• saṃnyāsa (renunciation)
• śraddhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest sanctity is union of sacred place, renunciation, and unwavering inner remembrance of the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kṣetra of Adhyāya 26, where even the most intense religious act—prāyopaveśana—performed with faith is portrayed as supremely meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyopaveśana (a vowed fast unto death) undertaken with saṃnyāsa-bhāva and śraddhā, centered on Janārdana in the heart.