Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

यो वांछति पुनः स्वर्गं स तत्र द्विजसत्तमाः । स्नानं करोतु दानं च श्राद्धं चापि विशेषतः

Transliteration

yo vāṃchati punaḥ svargaṃ sa tatra dvijasattamāḥ | snānaṃ karotu dānaṃ ca śrāddhaṃ cāpi viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ໂອ ດວິຊະຜູ້ປະເສີດ! ຜູ້ໃດປາຖະໜາສະຫວັນ ຈົ່ງໄປທີ່ນັ້ນ ອາບນ້ຳຊຳລະ ໃຫ້ທານ ແລະໂດຍພິເສດ ຈົ່ງປະກອບພິທີ ສຣາດທະ।

Word by Word

• यः: who (whoever)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• वाञ्छति: desires
• वाञ्छति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुनः: again / further
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ: ‘द्विजेषु सत्तमाः’

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• करोतु: let him do
• करोतु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्या-अव्यय (manner adverb)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: तत्-तीर्थ (unnamed here)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis addressed as ‘dvijasattamāḥ’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a tīrtha: bathing at the water’s edge, offering dāna to brāhmaṇas, and conducting śrāddha with piṇḍa and tila near a sacred spot; elders invoked with reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Śrāddha
• Snāna
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Heavenly merit is tied to dharmic action at a sacred place—purification (snāna), generosity (dāna), and duty to ancestors (śrāddha).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘there’ (tatra) refers to the tīrtha/pīṭha praised in this Nāgarakhaṇḍa chapter; the verse itself does not provide the proper name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), dāna (charity), and especially śrāddha (ancestral offerings) at the tīrtha.