Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

नगर्यो मुक्तिदायिन्यस्ताः श्रुतास्त्वत्प्रसादतः । ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादीनां सूर्येंदुवरुणस्य च

Transliteration

nagaryo muktidāyinyastāḥ śrutāstvatprasādataḥ | brahmaviṣṇuśivādīnāṃ sūryeṃduvaruṇasya ca

Translation

അങ്ങയുടെ പ്രസാദത്താൽ മോക്ഷം നൽകുന്ന നഗരങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ചും ഞാൻ കേട്ടിട്ടുണ്ട്; ബ്രഹ്മാ, വിഷ്ണു, ശിവൻ മുതലായവരുടെയും, സൂര്യൻ, ചന്ദ്രൻ, വരുണൻ എന്നിവരുടെയും പുണ്യധാമങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ചും കേട്ടിട്ടുണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• नगर्यः: cities
• नगर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

• मुक्तिदायिन्यः: granting liberation
• मुक्तिदायिन्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति + दायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural); विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तेः दायिनी)

• ताः: those
• ताः: Karta (Correlative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Plural)

• श्रुताः: have been heard
• श्रुताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Nom., Pl.)

• त्वत्प्रसादतः: due to your grace
• त्वत्प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Ablative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्वत्-प्रसादः)

• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादीनाम्: of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and others
• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + शिव + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural); समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (ब्रह्म-विष्णु-शिव-आदि)

• सूर्येन्दुवरुणस्य: of Sūrya, Indu (Moon), and Varuṇa
• सूर्येन्दुवरुणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + इन्दु + वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (सूर्य-इन्दु-वरुण)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (and)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mukti-nagarī (generic category)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciple addresses a revered teacher, envisioning a mandala of sacred cities around the cosmic deities—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, Sūrya, Candra, Varuṇa—each with its emblem and shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Liberation-giving cities
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva
• Sūrya
• Indu (Moon)
• Varuṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace (prasāda) opens knowledge of mokṣa-oriented sacred cities and deity-linked abodes, directing the seeker toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is comparative and panoramic; it frames renowned mokṣa-cities and deva-sthānas before focusing on Vastrāpatha’s special greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is mentioned; the emphasis is on hearing/knowing (śravaṇa) the māhātmya of sacred places.