Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

स्वर्गद्वारे वियुज्येत स याति परमां गतिम् । उत्तरं दक्षिणं वापि अयनं न विकल्पयेत्

Transliteration

svargadvāre viyujyeta sa yāti paramāṃ gatim | uttaraṃ dakṣiṇaṃ vāpi ayanaṃ na vikalpayet

Translation

സ്വർഗ്ഗദ്വാരത്തിൽ ദേഹത്യാഗം ചെയ്താൽ അവൻ പരമഗതിയെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു. ഉത്തരായണമോ ദക്ഷിണായണമോ എന്ന ഭേദം അവിടെ വേണ്ടതില്ല.

Word by Word

• स्वर्गद्वारे: at the gate of heaven
• स्वर्गद्वारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + द्वार (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वर्गस्य द्वारम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• वियुज्येत: should depart; be separated
• वियुज्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-युज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; अर्थः—“वियुज्येत/वियुक्तो भवेत्” (should be separated/depart)

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

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to गतिम्)

• गतिम्: destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उत्तरम्: northern
• उत्तरम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (to अयनम्)

• दक्षिणम्: southern
• दक्षिणम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (to अयनम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• अयनम्: path; course
• अयनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः—“मार्ग/गमन” (course/way)

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

• विकल्पयेत्: should choose; discriminate
• विकल्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; अर्थः—“विकल्पं कुर्यात्” (should choose/consider alternatives)

Speaker

Varāha (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svargadvāra (Ayodhyā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred riverfront threshold named Svargadvāra in Ayodhyā: pilgrims and ascetics near steps to the water; a serene departing soul guided upward by Viṣṇu’s grace, while sun’s northern/southern course is shown as irrelevant in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Svargadvāra
• Uttarāyaṇa (implied)
• Dakṣiṇāyaṇa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of Svargadvāra is said to transcend conventional calculations of auspicious death-timing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Svargadvāra in Ayodhyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite; the verse negates the need for timing conditions (ayana considerations) for attaining the highest goal at Svargadvāra.