Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

जंबूद्वीपस्य संज्ञेयं फलेन च विजायते । मन्त्रेणानेन विप्रेंद्र श्रद्धाधर्मसुसंयतैः

Transliteration

jaṃbūdvīpasya saṃjñeyaṃ phalena ca vijāyate | mantreṇānena vipreṃdra śraddhādharmasusaṃyataiḥ

Translation

“Melalui buah jambū inilah hendak difahami sebutan ‘Jambūdvīpa’, kerana seolah-olah daripadanya nama itu ‘dilahirkan’. Wahai yang terbaik antara brāhmaṇa, hendaklah mereka yang terdidik dalam śraddhā dan dharma melakukannya dengan mantra ini.”

Word by Word

• jaṃbūdvīpasya: of Jambūdvīpa
• jaṃbūdvīpasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṃbū-dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक; जम्बू + द्वीप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• saṃjñeyam: is to be known / is recognized
• saṃjñeyam: Kriya (Obligation/Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु) + saṃ- + ya (कृत्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) ‘-य’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be known/recognized)

• phalena: by (this) fruit
• phalena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• vijāyate: arises / is produced
• vijāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग ‘वि’; भावे/कर्मणि-प्रायः (comes into being/occurs)

• mantreṇa: by the mantra
• mantreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• anena: by this
• anena: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (this)

• viprendra: O best of Brahmins
• viprendra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra-indra (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; सम्बोधन

• śraddhā: with faith
• śraddhā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (as first member in compound sense)

• dharma: with righteousness
• dharma: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (as compound member)

• su: well / thoroughly
• su: Upapada (Modifier/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/उपपद (intensifier ‘well’)

• saṃyataiḥ: by the well-restrained (persons)
• saṃyataiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃyata (प्रातिपदिक; यम्-धातोः क्त with सम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied agents)

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-sage explains the meaning of Jambūdvīpa while holding a jambū fruit; behind them a stylized cosmographic map/mandala of the continent appears, linking mantra, fruit, and world-order.

Characters & Entities

• Jambūdvīpa
• Jambū (fruit)
• Mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts are tied to Purāṇic sacred meaning: a simple offering connects worship to cosmic geography and dharmic discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a local tirtha; it references the wider Purāṇic realm Jambūdvīpa, framing the rite with cosmological significance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use a specific mantra and disciplined faith (śraddhā) while making the fruit-based offering.