Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

लोकाः पापविनिर्मुक्ताः शांता दांता जितेन्द्रियाः । दीर्घायुषस्तथा सर्वे सदैव तपसि स्थिताः

Transliteration

lokāḥ pāpavinirmuktāḥ śāṃtā dāṃtā jitendriyāḥ | dīrghāyuṣastathā sarve sadaiva tapasi sthitāḥ

Translation

ജനങ്ങൾ പാപവിമുക്തരും ശാന്തരും ദമനശീലരുമായ ഇന്ദ്രിയജയികളുമായിരുന്നു. എല്ലാവരും ദീർഘായുസ്സുള്ളവർ; സദാ തപസ്സിൽ സ്ഥിരരായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• लोकाः: people/worlds
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• पापविनिर्मुक्ताः: freed from sin
• पापविनिर्मुक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + विनिर्मुक्त (कृदन्त; मुच् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पापात् विनिर्मुक्ताः)

• शान्ताः: peaceful
• शान्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (कृदन्त; शम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दान्ताः: self-controlled
• दान्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त (कृदन्त; दम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• जितेन्द्रियाः: having conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; जि धातु → जित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जितानि इन्द्रियाणि येषाम्)

• दीर्घायुषः: long-lived
• दीर्घायुषः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिवत् प्रयोगः/तत्पुरुषसमासः (दीर्घम् आयुः येषाम्)

• तथा: and/also; thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb/conjunctive)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सदैव: always
• सदैव: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• तपसि: in austerity
• तपसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्थिताः: abiding/standing
• स्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘लोकाः/सर्वे’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Kṛta-yuga tableau: people meditating, performing gentle austerities, living simply; no conflict; long-lived sages and householders in harmony; forest-āśrama near a clear river.

Characters & Entities

• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest social order arises from inner conquest—peace, restraint, and tapas—rather than external power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it sets the yuga-ethical background within the Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is praised as the prevailing practice, though no single vrata or procedure is detailed.