Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

जातिस्मृतिर्यथा जाता प्राक्तनी तत्प्रभावतः । राज्यप्राप्तिर्विभूतिश्च तथेष्टाप्तिः पदेपदे

Transliteration

jātismṛtiryathā jātā prāktanī tatprabhāvataḥ | rājyaprāptirvibhūtiśca tatheṣṭāptiḥ padepade

Translation

അതിന്റെയ പ്രഭാവത്താൽ എങ്ങനെ പൂർവ്വജന്മസ്മൃതി ഉദിച്ചു; അതുപോലെ രാജ്യം ലഭിച്ചു, ഐശ്വര്യവും ലഭിച്ചു; കൂടാതെ പടിപടിയായി ഇഷ്ടഫലസിദ്ധിയും ഉണ്ടായി.

Word by Word

• जातिस्मृतिः: memory of former birth/caste (recollection of past life)
• जातिस्मृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जात्याः स्मृतिः)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative: 'as/just as')

• जाता: arose/was produced
• जाता: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'उत्पन्ना/सम्भूता'

• प्राक्तनी: former, previous
• प्राक्तनी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राक्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (former/previous)

• तत्प्रभावतः: due to its power
• तत्प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (तस्य प्रभावः); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = 'from/owing to its power'

• राज्यप्राप्तिः: attainment of kingship
• राज्यप्राप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राज्यस्य प्राप्तिः)

• विभूतिः: prosperity, glory
• विभूतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction 'and')

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमवाचक (likewise/also)

• इष्टाप्तिः: attainment of what is desired
• इष्टाप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + आप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इष्टस्य आप्तिः)

• पदे: in a step/place
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे पुनरुक्तिः (in each step)

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade = at every step)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king narrates the marvel: sudden awakening of past-life memory and a cascade of auspicious gains—royal insignia, overflowing granaries, and symbolic steps marked with lotuses indicating ‘success at every step’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-sevā and sacred acts are portrayed as producing both inner awakening (past-life memory) and outer fruit (prosperity).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The benefits are attributed to “its power,” but the tīrtha is not named in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription is stated; the verse summarizes results (phala) attributed to sacred influence.