Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पक्षमेकं तु यः स्नाति गोदावर्यां दिनोदये । स भित्त्वा कर्मजं देहं याति विष्णोः सलोकताम्

Transliteration

pakṣamekaṃ tu yaḥ snāti godāvaryāṃ dinodaye | sa bhittvā karmajaṃ dehaṃ yāti viṣṇoḥ salokatām

Translation

ഗോദാവരിയിൽ സൂര്യോദയസമയത്ത് പൂർണ്ണ പകുതിക്കാലം സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, കർമജന്യ ദേഹബന്ധനം ഭേദിച്ച് വിഷ്ണുലോകവാസം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पक्षम्: fortnight, half-month
• पक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) पक्षम्-शब्दस्य

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• गोदावर्याम्: in the Godāvarī (river)
• गोदावर्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोदावरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• दिनोदये: at daybreak/sunrise
• दिनोदये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन-उदय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिनस्य उदयः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; अन्वय-सर्वनाम (correlative pronoun)

• भित्त्वा: having broken through
• भित्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having split/broken)

• कर्मजम्: born of karma
• कर्मजम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म-ज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणः जातः)

• देहम्: body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• सलोकताम्: the state of sharing the same world (with him)
• सलोकताम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-लोकता (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (सह लोकः यस्याः सा = salokatā)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Godāvarī

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fortnight sequence implied: at a Godāvarī ghat, the sun rises; a devotee bathes daily, aura brightening; a subtle vision of Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu with Lakṣmī) appears, while a cracked shell symbolizes the ‘karma-born body’ being broken.

Characters & Entities

• Godāvarī
• Viṣṇu
• Salokatā (same-world liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained, disciplined tīrtha-practice is linked with transcendence of karmic bondage and devotion-centered liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Godāvarī river, especially the sunrise bathing observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing at sunrise in the Godāvarī for one fortnight (pakṣa).