Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

परं विप्रस्य या दीक्षा व्रतवंधसमुद्भवा । गायत्री परमा जाप्ये गुरुर्व्रतपरो हि सः । वैष्णवीं चाथ शैवीं च योऽन्यां दीक्षां समाचरेत्

Transliteration

paraṃ viprasya yā dīkṣā vratavaṃdhasamudbhavā | gāyatrī paramā jāpye gururvrataparo hi saḥ | vaiṣṇavīṃ cātha śaivīṃ ca yo'nyāṃ dīkṣāṃ samācaret

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണനു പരമ ദീക്ഷ വ്രതബന്ധത്തിൽ നിന്നു ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നതുതന്നെ. ജപത്തിൽ പരമ മന്ത്രം ഗായത്രി; അവന്റെ സത്യഗുരു വ്രതപരനായവൻ. എന്നാൽ വൈഷ്ണവീ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ശൈവീ ദീക്ഷ സ്വീകരിച്ചിട്ട് വീണ്ടും മറ്റൊരു ദീക്ഷ ആചരിക്കുന്നവൻ,

Word by Word

• param: further; moreover
• param: Sambandha (Discourse marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (particle/adverb), अर्थः: “further/moreover”

• viprasya: of a Brahmin
• viprasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• yā: which
• yā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dīkṣā: initiation
• dīkṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vrata-vandha-samudbhavā: arising from the observance/bond of vows
• vrata-vandha-samudbhavā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + vandha/bandha (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सम्बन्ध-श्रृङ्खला: व्रत-बन्धात् समुद्भवा = arising from the binding/observance of vows)

• gāyatrī: Gāyatrī (mantra)
• gāyatrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• paramā: supreme
• paramā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गायत्‍र्याः विशेषणम्

• jāpye: in japa (repetition)
• jāpye: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāpya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अर्थः: जपनीय-कर्मणि/जपे (in the act of japa)

• guruḥ: the teacher
• guruḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vrata-paraḥ: devoted to vows
• vrata-paraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (व्रते परः = devoted to vows)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चय/हेतु-निपात

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

• vaiṣṇavīm: Vaiṣṇava (related to Viṣṇu)
• vaiṣṇavīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; दीक्षाम् इति विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक

• atha: then; and also
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• śaivīm: Śaiva (related to Śiva)
• śaivīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दीक्षाम् इति विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• anyām: another
• anyām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दीक्षाम् इति विशेषणम्

• dīkṣām: initiation
• dīkṣām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samācaret: should undertake; should practice
• samācaret: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√car (चर् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (actually तृतीयपुरुष/3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद: “should practice/undertake”

Speaker

Narrative voice (speaker not explicitly marked in this verse; immediate dialogue attribution appears from 89 onward)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: Durvāsā instructs a brāhmaṇa aspirant; Gāyatrī is symbolized by a radiant sun-disc or Vedic fire; two paths (Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava) appear as distinct emblems, warning against wavering between them.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Vaiṣṇava dīkṣā
• Śaiva dīkṣā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vow-bound discipline and faithful practice—especially Gāyatrī-japa—are upheld as the highest brāhmaṇical path, not restless switching of consecrations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is doctrinal within the Tīrthamāhātmya flow; no specific tīrtha-name is stated in the śloka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gāyatrī-japa is identified as supreme, and steadfast observance of vrata is emphasized as the core discipline connected to dīkṣā.