Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

जपैर्ध्यानैः शमपरैर्मोक्षं यास्येत निश्चितम । शूद्राणां चापि नारीणां प्रणवेन विवर्जितः

Transliteration

japairdhyānaiḥ śamaparairmokṣaṃ yāsyeta niścitama | śūdrāṇāṃ cāpi nārīṇāṃ praṇavena vivarjitaḥ

Translation

ജപം, ധ്യാനം, ശമപ്രധാനമായ সাধനകൾ എന്നിവയാൽ നിശ്ചയമായി മോക്ഷം ലഭിക്കും; ശൂദ്രർക്കും സ്ത്രീകൾക്കും ഇത് പ്രണവം (ഓം) ഒഴിവാക്കി പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• जपैः: by recitations
• जपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• ध्यानैः: by meditations
• ध्यानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• शमपरैः: devoted to tranquility/self-control
• शमपरैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शम-पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शमे पराः/शमपराः)

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• यास्येत: will attain/go to
• यास्येत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; विधिलिङ्-छाया/आशीर्लिङ्-प्रयोगः सम्भाव्यः (पाठभेदे)

• निश्चितम्: certainly
• निश्चितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निश्चित (प्रातिपदिक; नि+√चि/√चित्)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; अव्ययवत् (adverbial accusative/neuter)

• शूद्राणाम्: of Śūdras
• शूद्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also)

• नारीणाम्: of women
• नारीणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• प्रणवेन: with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• विवर्जितः: devoid of, excluded from
• विवर्जितः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; वि+√वृज्/√वर्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet hermitage-like tīrtha bank: practitioners seated in meditation; a teacher gestures toward the heart (śama), while a subtle boundary is shown around the Oṃ symbol, indicating restricted use and alternate devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Śūdra
• Women

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is linked to sustained japa, dhyāna, and inner calm; the verse also reflects traditional rules about praṇava usage for different practitioners.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on practice-eligibility and methods within the larger māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice japa and meditation with śama (tranquility); for certain practitioners, mantra recitation is indicated without the praṇava prefix.