Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

धर्मवन्तं नृपं दृष्ट्वा लिंगं स्वायंभुवं तथा । नदीं सागरगां चैव मुच्येत्पापाद्दिनोद्भवात्

Transliteration

dharmavantaṃ nṛpaṃ dṛṣṭvā liṃgaṃ svāyaṃbhuvaṃ tathā | nadīṃ sāgaragāṃ caiva mucyetpāpāddinodbhavāt

Translation

ധർമ്മവാനായ രാജാവിനെ ദർശിച്ച്, അതുപോലെ സ്വയംഭൂ ലിംഗത്തെയും, സമുദ്രഗാമിയായ നദിയെയും കണ്ടാൽ—ദിനംപ്രതി ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്ന പാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് മോചനം ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• धर्मवन्तम्: righteous
• धर्मवन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• नृपम्: king
• नृपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृत्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तः अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया ‘having seen’

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• स्वायम्भुवम्: self-manifest
• स्वायम्भुवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/उपमानार्थे ‘and also/likewise’

• नदीम्: river
• नदीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सागरगाम्: going to the ocean
• सागरगाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर + गा (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयप्रायः (सागरं गच्छति इति); स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थकः (emphatic particle)

• मुच्येत्: would be freed
• मुच्येत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; ‘would be released’

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अपादानम्

• दिनोद्भवात्: from (sin) arising by day (daily)
• दिनोद्भवात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिनस्य उद्भवः); पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अपादान-हेतुप्रायः

Speaker

Narrative voice (context within Mārkaṇḍeya’s discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svayaṃbhū-liṅga (generic category) and Sāgaragā Nadī (generic category)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like sacred vision: (1) a righteous king dispensing justice with compassion, (2) a naturally arisen liṅga glowing in a sanctum, (3) a mighty river coursing toward the ocean; pilgrims witness and feel cleansed.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva Liṅga
• River (to the ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of dharma embodied—righteous rule, self-manifest Śiva, and sacred rivers—purifies even habitual, daily-accruing faults.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A general tīrtha principle is stated (svāyaṃbhu-liṅga and sacred river); the verse does not specify a named temple or river here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (reverent viewing/visiting) of a svayambhū-liṅga and sacred river is presented as a means of pāpa-kṣaya (sin-removal).