Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तं देवं यत्नतो द्विजाः । पश्येदात्महितार्थाय स्ववंशपरिवृद्धये

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena taṃ devaṃ yatnato dvijāḥ | paśyedātmahitārthāya svavaṃśaparivṛddhaye

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ! ആത്മഹിതത്തിനും സ്വന്തം വംശവർദ്ധനയ്ക്കുമായി, സർവ്വപ്രയത്നത്തോടെയും ജാഗ്രതയോടെയും ആ ദേവനെ ദർശിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत्; हेत्वर्थक (therefore/from that reason)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वः प्रयत्नः); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन

• तम्: that (him)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Apposition to object/कर्मसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘तम्’ इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन

• यत्नतः: carefully
• यत्नतः: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्नतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (carefully/with effort)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Vocative address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि (addressing)

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आत्महितार्थाय: for one’s own welfare
• आत्महितार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient-like dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्म + हित + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आत्मनः हितस्य अर्थः); पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative); एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (for the sake of)

• स्ववंशपरिवृद्धये: for the increase of one’s lineage
• स्ववंशपरिवृद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + वंश + परिवृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्य वंशस्य परिवृद्धिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaṭāditya / Sāmbasūrya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of dvijas (brahmins) are addressed by a narrator, pointing toward the radiant Sūrya shrine; pilgrims prepare offerings and travel gear, symbolizing ‘every effort’ for darśana aimed at welfare and lineage increase.

Characters & Entities

• Sāmbasūrya
• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and darśana are framed as dhārmic acts that support both personal well-being and family continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sāmbasūrya-associated kṣetra/tīrtha praised throughout Adhyāya 56.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An exhortation to make earnest effort to obtain darśana of the deity at the site.