Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन कीर्तनीया विचक्षणैः । कालत्रयेऽपि शुचिभिर्विशेषाच्छिवदीक्षितैः

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena kīrtanīyā vicakṣaṇaiḥ | kālatraye'pi śucibhirviśeṣācchivadīkṣitaiḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് വിവേകികൾ സർവ്വപ്രയത്നത്തോടെ ഇതിനെ കീർത്തിക്കണം; പ്രാതഃ, മധ്യാഹ്നം, സായം—ത്രികാലവും ശുചികളായി, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ശിവദീക്ഷിതർ।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वप्रयत्नः (समस्त-प्रयत्नः)

• कीर्तनीया: should be recited/praised
• कीर्तनीया: Karma (Object; to be done)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु) → कीर्तनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—तव्यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थे (gerundive: ‘to be praised/recited’)

• विचक्षणैः: by the discerning (people)
• विचक्षणैः: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कालत्रये: in the three times
• कालत्रये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः—कालत्रयम् (‘three times/three periods’)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• शुचिभिः: by the pure
• शुचिभिः: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• विशेषात्: especially; in particular
• विशेषात्: Hetu (Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘विशेषतः’ इत्यर्थे

• शिवदीक्षितैः: by those initiated into Śiva
• शिवदीक्षितैः: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + दीक्षित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दिक्ष्/दीक्ष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—शिवे दीक्षितः (initiated into Śiva)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned devotee, freshly bathed, seated on kuśa grass at dawn/noon/dusk, reciting a palm-leaf māhātmya to attentive listeners; Śaiva initiates with tripuṇḍra and rudrākṣa stand prominently.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-dīkṣita (Śaiva initiate)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred remembrance becomes a disciplined practice: wisdom expresses itself through regular, pure, and devoted proclamation of holy tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to the previously stated tīrtha-list as a whole, emphasizing its proclamation rather than one location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite/proclaim the list with full effort, maintaining purity, ideally at the three daily times; Śaiva initiates are especially enjoined.