Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

यावन्नात्र कृतं स्नानं प्रत्यक्षं च द्विजन्मनाम् । सर्वेषां तावदेवाऽत्र न स विप्रो भवेत्स्फुटम्

Transliteration

yāvannātra kṛtaṃ snānaṃ pratyakṣaṃ ca dvijanmanām | sarveṣāṃ tāvadevā'tra na sa vipro bhavetsphuṭam

Translation

ഇവിടെ ദ്വിജന്മാർ പ്രത്യക്ഷമായി സ്നാനം ചെയ്യാത്തതുവരെ, ഈ കാര്യത്തിൽ എല്ലാവർക്കും അവൻ വ്യക്തമായി ബ്രാഹ്മണനാകുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: सम्बन्ध/काल (Temporal correlate)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-अव्यय)
• Form: कालपरिमाणवाचक-अव्ययम् (correlative: as long as)

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः (negation)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: अधिकरण (Locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘स्नानम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: कर्ता (Subject; of implied ‘is done’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly, in person
• प्रत्यक्षम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; अत्र क्रियाविशेषणवत् (directly/visibly)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपातः

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजन्मनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (द्विजानां जन्म = द्विजन्मन्), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: सम्बन्ध/काल (Temporal correlate)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्ययम् (correlative: so long/that much)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphasis)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: अधिकरण (Locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम्

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• विप्रः: a Brahmin
• विप्रः: विधेय-नाम (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• भवेत्: would be/become
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• स्फुटम्: clearly
• स्फुटम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्फुटम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverb: clearly)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; likely Sūta relating the tīrtha-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twice-born pilgrims descend steps into sacred water in daylight; elders witness the bath; wet sacred thread visible; afterward, they perform ācamana and don clean cloth, ready for rites.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not merely claimed by birth or label; sacred discipline and visible purification complete one’s dharmic standing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular ‘here’—the chapter’s tīrtha/kuṇḍa—whose snāna is presented as decisive for purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (ritual bathing) at this tīrtha, in a manner that is direct and publicly verifiable.