Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

नान्यथा घोरजाप्येन तीर्यते भवसागरः । मया सम्यक्परिज्ञातमेतच्छास्त्रसमागमात्

Transliteration

nānyathā ghorajāpyena tīryate bhavasāgaraḥ | mayā samyakparijñātametacchāstrasamāgamāt

Translation

घोर जपाशिवाय अन्य कोणत्याही मार्गाने भवसागर तरता येत नाही; शास्त्रांच्या समवेत साक्ष्याने हे मी नीट जाणले आहे।

Word by Word

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

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

• घोरजाप्येन: by severe repetition (of mantra)
• घोरजाप्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घोर + जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (घोरं जाप्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; करण

• तीर्यते: is crossed
• तीर्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• भवसागरः: ocean of worldly existence
• भवसागरः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भवस्य सागरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartā (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सम्यक्: properly, thoroughly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: properly)

• परिज्ञातम्: fully known/ascertained
• परिज्ञातम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग) + ज्ञात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावे 'known/ascertained'

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शास्त्रसमागमात्: from the study/consultation of scriptures
• शास्त्रसमागमात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र + समागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (शास्त्रस्य समागमः/समागमात्); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; अपादान

Speaker

Narrator/teacher in the Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual; likely a tapasvī/ācārya figure within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A focused sādhaka seated in padmāsana beside a riverbank/temple precinct, counting rudrākṣa beads; behind, a symbolic ocean with a small boat made of mantra-light crossing waves.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is presented as dependent on sustained, intense japa; scripture-backed practice, not mere theory, carries one beyond saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework; the immediate shloka emphasizes practice (japa) more than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ghora-japa (intense mantra repetition) is prescribed as the decisive means for crossing the ocean of worldly existence.