Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नः शास्त्रासक्तः सुमृष्टवाक् । धर्माख्यानपरो नित्यं नरकं न स पश्यति

Transliteration

vedādhyayanasaṃpannaḥ śāstrāsaktaḥ sumṛṣṭavāk | dharmākhyānaparo nityaṃ narakaṃ na sa paśyati

Translation

വേദാധ്യയനത്തിൽ സമ്പന്നൻ, ശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളിൽ ആസക്തൻ, ശുദ്ധസുന്ദര വാക്കുള്ളവൻ, നിത്യം ധർമ്മകഥാ-പ്രവചനത്തിൽ നിരതനായവൻ—അവൻ നരകം കാണുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नः: endowed with Vedic study
• वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + अध्ययन + संपन्न (प्रातिपदिक; √पद्/√पन् (धातु) उपसर्ग-सम् क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; समासः (वेदाध्ययन-सम्पन्न)

• शास्त्रासक्तः: attached to scriptures
• शास्त्रासक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र + आसक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √सञ्ज्/√सक् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• सुमृष्टवाक्: of well-polished speech
• सुमृष्टवाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + मृष्ट + वाच् (प्रातिपदिक; √मृज् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; वाक्-शब्दः (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक) समासे बहिर्गत-लिङ्गानुसारः

• धर्माख्यानपरः: devoted to narrating dharma
• धर्माख्यानपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + आख्यान + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Yama (contextual, continuing instruction in this passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned teacher recites Veda and explains dharma to attentive listeners at a tīrtha rest-house or temple mandapa; speech is portrayed as luminous and controlled.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Veda
• Śāstra
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning and teaching dharma with disciplined speech is itself a purifying yajña that protects one from naraka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The line is not site-specific; it frames scriptural learning as a dharmic support to tīrtha culture and pilgrimage life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Veda-adhyayana (Vedic study), śāstra-sevā (devotion to scriptures), and dharma-ākhyāna (regular dharma narration/teaching).