Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

जडं शुद्धक्रियं वापि निरंजनं नियामकम् । यज्ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते क्षिप्रं घोरसंसारबंधनात्

Transliteration

jaḍaṃ śuddhakriyaṃ vāpi niraṃjanaṃ niyāmakam | yajjñātvā mucyate kṣipraṃ ghorasaṃsārabaṃdhanāt

Translation

അതിനെ ജഡം/അചലം എന്നു കരുതിയാലും, ശുദ്ധക്രിയാസ്വരൂപം എന്നു കരുതിയാലും; നിരഞ്ജനവും അന്തര്യാമി നിയാമകവും എന്നു അറിഞ്ഞാലും—ആ തത്ത്വം അറിഞ്ഞാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ ഘോരസംസാരബന്ധനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വേഗം മോചിതനാകും.

Word by Word

• जडम्: inert/insentient (as described)
• जडम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शुद्धक्रियम्: of pure action/with pure rite
• शुद्धक्रियम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्धक्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; शुद्ध + क्रिय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘शुद्धा क्रिया यस्य’ (or ‘शुद्ध-क्रिय’ as a descriptive compound)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle ‘also/even’)

• निरञ्जनम्: stainless, pure
• निरञ्जनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक; निर् + अञ्जन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-तत्पुरुषः ‘अञ्जनं (मलम्) न अस्ति’

• नियामकम्: regulator, controller
• नियामकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियामक (प्रातिपदिक; नि + यम् (धातु) + ण्वुल् प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्तरि-ण्वुलन्त (agent-noun) ‘नियमयति इति’

• यत्: which/that (it)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययः (relative pronoun)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having known’

• मुच्यते: is liberated
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• घोरसंसारबंधनात्: from the dreadful bondage of worldly existence
• घोरसंसारबंधनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घोरसंसारबंधन (प्रातिपदिक; घोर + संसार + बन्धन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘घोरस्य संसारस्य बन्धनात्’ (ablative ‘from’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bound traveler (symbol of jīva) with chains labeled ‘saṃsāra’ sits before a luminous, stainless inner light; as realization dawns, the chains fall away, revealing calm freedom.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True knowledge/realization of the stainless inner ruler breaks the fearsome bonds of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes liberation-teaching within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter, without naming a particular site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Jnana-based contemplation/realization is emphasized as the liberating means.