Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तन्मुहूर्त्तमपि ध्यात्वा पापं जन्मशतोद्भवम् । भस्म साद्याति विहितं निरंजननिषेवणात्

Transliteration

tanmuhūrttamapi dhyātvā pāpaṃ janmaśatodbhavam | bhasma sādyāti vihitaṃ niraṃjananiṣevaṇāt

Translation

ആ ഒരു മുഹൂർത്തം പോലും ധ്യാനിച്ചാൽ, നൂറു ജന്മങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന പാപം—നിരഞ്ജനൻ (കലങ്കരഹിതനായ പ്രഭു)നെ ഭക്തിയോടെ ആശ്രയിക്കുന്നതാൽ—തത്സമയം ഭസ്മമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्-मुहूर्तम्: that moment
• तत्-मुहूर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated upon
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• जन्म-शत-उद्भवम्: arisen from a hundred births
• जन्म-शत-उद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (पापस्य)

• भस्म: to ashes
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अव्यक्त-रूप (indeclinable-like usage)

• साद्याति: becomes/turns into, is reduced to
• साद्याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: आ (आ+सद् → आसादयति/आसाद्यति इत्यर्थे)

• विहितम्: ordained, prescribed
• विहितम्: Pratijna/Predicative complement
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण/विधेय

• निरंजन-निषेवणात्: from the practice/service of the stainless (Lord)
• निरंजन-निषेवणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरंजन (प्रातिपदिक) + निषेवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ-अपादान (cause in ablative)

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone pilgrim-yogin seated at a tīrtha bank at dawn, eyes half-closed, a subtle inner flame (jñāna-agni) rising as dark soot-like pāpa turns to ash; the deity Nirañjana suggested as a radiant, stainless presence without heavy ornamentation.

Characters & Entities

• Nirañjana (Viṣṇu/Hari)
• Dhyāna
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even brief, focused meditation on the Stainless Lord has immense purificatory power, burning deep karmic sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it highlights the mahātmya of dhyāna itself as a purifier within sacred-practice literature.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice dhyāna (meditation) and niṣevaṇa (devotional resort/service) of Nirañjana for pāpa-kṣaya (destruction of sin).