Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

नीलीक्षेत्रं तु यो याति मूलकं भक्षयेत्तु यः । नैवास्ति नरकोद्धारं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि

Transliteration

nīlīkṣetraṃ tu yo yāti mūlakaṃ bhakṣayettu yaḥ | naivāsti narakoddhāraṃ kalpakoṭiśatairapi

Translation

ആരെങ്കിലും നീലീ-ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ ചെന്നു മൂലകം (മുള്ളങ്കി) ഭക്ഷിച്ചാൽ, അവന് നരകത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ള മോചനം കോടി കോടി കല്പങ്ങളിലുപോലും ലഭിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• नीलीक्षेत्रम्: Nīlīkṣetra (the Nīlī sacred region)
• नीलीक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीली (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (नीली-नामकं क्षेत्रम्)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यत्

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मूलकम्: a radish
• मूलकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भक्षयेत्: should eat
• भक्षयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (आज्ञा/सम्भावना), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यत्

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नरकोद्धारम्: deliverance from hell
• नरकोद्धारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नरकस्य उद्धारः)

• कल्पकोटिशतैः: by hundreds of crores of kalpas
• कल्पकोटिशतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कल्पानां कोटि-शतानि)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narration style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīlī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim entering a sacred precinct labeled Nīlī-kṣetra; a cautionary sage points to a sign of dietary restraint while a radish is shown as the forbidden object; in the background, a symbolic vision of naraka underscores the warning.

Characters & Entities

• Nīlī-kṣetra
• Naraka
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred travel demands discipline; violating a place-specific restraint (niyama) is portrayed as spiritually catastrophic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nīlī-kṣetra is singled out, with a strict conduct rule attached to the pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition: one should not consume mūlaka (radish) in connection with going to Nīlī-kṣetra.