Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

तत्पुण्यात्प्राप्य वैकुंठं भुक्त्वा भोगान्मनोरमान् । तत्पुण्यशेषात्क्षितिपो जातस्त्वं नंदिवर्धने

Transliteration

tatpuṇyātprāpya vaikuṃṭhaṃ bhuktvā bhogānmanoramān | tatpuṇyaśeṣātkṣitipo jātastvaṃ naṃdivardhane

Translation

ആ പുണ്യത്താൽ നീ വൈകുണ്ഠം പ്രാപിച്ച് മനോഹരമായ ഭോഗങ്ങൾ അനുഭവിച്ചു; ആ പുണ്യശേഷത്താൽ നന്ദിവർധനത്തിൽ നീ രാജാവായി ജനിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण (of that)

• पुण्यात्: from (that) merit
• पुण्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) + त्यप् (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• वैकुण्ठम्: Vaikuṇṭha
• वैकुण्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• भुक्त्वा: having enjoyed
• भुक्त्वा: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• भोगान्: enjoyments
• भोगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन

• मनोरमान्: delightful
• मनोरमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (भोगान् विशेषयति)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण

• पुण्यशेषात्: from the remainder of that merit
• पुण्यशेषात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुण्यस्य शेषः = remainder of merit)

• क्षितिपः: a king
• क्षितिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षितिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• जातः: born
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विधेय

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य); प्रथमा; एकवचन

• नन्दिवर्धने: in Nandivardhana
• नन्दिवर्धने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिवर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaikuṇṭha; Nandivardhana (as narrative loci)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A two-stage vision: the soul enjoying luminous Vaikuṇṭha delights, then a transition showing the ‘residue of merit’ as a golden thread leading to royal birth in Nandivardhana.

Characters & Entities

• Vaikuṇṭha
• Nandivardhana
• puṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit yields heavenly attainment, but when its force is exhausted, beings return to embodied life—prompting the higher aim of mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vaikuṇṭha is named as a divine realm; Nandivardhana is cited as the earthly place of rebirth within the narrative’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse explains karmic results (puṇya and puṇya-śeṣa) rather than prescribing a rite.