Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

महत्तप इदं येन कृतं जगति दुर्लभम् । इदमेव महापुण्यमिदमेव महत्सुखम् । इदमेव परं श्रेयो महापाराकसेवनम्

Transliteration

mahattapa idaṃ yena kṛtaṃ jagati durlabham | idameva mahāpuṇyamidameva mahatsukham | idameva paraṃ śreyo mahāpārākasevanam

Translation

ഈ മഹത്തപസ് ചെയ്തവൻ ലോകത്തിൽ ദുർലഭൻ. ഇതുതന്നെ മഹാപുണ്യം, ഇതുതന്നെ മഹാസുഖം. ഇതുതന്നെ പരമ ശ്രേയസ്—മഹാപാരാക സേവനം।

Word by Word

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg adjective)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg pronoun)

• येन: by whom/whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (instrumental singular relative pronoun)

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘done/performed’ (past passive participle)

• जगति: in the world
• जगति: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (locative singular)

• दुर्लभम्: rare
• दुर्लभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg adjective)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg pronoun)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis)

• महापुण्यम्: great merit
• महापुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् पुण्यम्) (neuter nom/acc sg)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• महापाराकसेवनम्: service/observance of the great Pārāka (fast)
• महापाराकसेवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पाराक + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महापाराकस्य सेवनम्) (neuter nom/acc sg)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāpārāka-sevana

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene closing tableau: the devotee completes Mahāpārāka, calm-faced, with a radiant yet quiet joy; the words ‘mahāpuṇya, mahatsukha, paramaśreyaḥ’ are visually suggested as symbolic lotuses around the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāpārāka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text frames Mahāpārāka as a rare, world-transcending discipline yielding merit, joy, and the highest welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The emphasis is on the vow itself within a pilgrimage-glorification chapter; the site-context is carried by the surrounding Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mahāpārāka-sevā (undertaking and maintaining the observance) is prescribed as the foremost spiritual practice.