Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मोक्षमार्गो द्विजैश्चैव श्रुतिस्मृतिसमुच्चयात् । मोक्षोऽयं नगराकारश्चतुर्द्वार समाकुलः

Transliteration

mokṣamārgo dvijaiścaiva śrutismṛtisamuccayāt | mokṣo'yaṃ nagarākāraścaturdvāra samākulaḥ

Translation

ଶ୍ରୁତି-ସ୍ମୃତିର ସମୁଚ୍ଚୟରୁ ଦ୍ୱିଜମାନେ ମୋକ୍ଷମାର୍ଗକୁ ପ୍ରତିପାଦନ କରିଛନ୍ତି; ଏହି ମୋକ୍ଷ ଚାରି ଦ୍ୱାରଯୁକ୍ତ ଏକ ନଗର ସଦୃଶ।

Word by Word

• मोक्षमार्गः: the path to liberation
• मोक्षमार्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मोक्षस्य मार्गः)

• द्विजैः: by the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• श्रुतिस्मृतिसमुच्चयात्: from the compilation of śruti and smṛti
• श्रुतिस्मृतिसमुच्चयात्: Apadana (Source/अपाादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + समुच्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-आधारित-तत्पुरुषः (श्रुतिः च स्मृतिः च) + तत्पुरुषः (तयोः समुच्चयः)

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshya (Appositive determiner/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• नगराकारः: having the form of a city
• नगराकारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नगरस्य आकारः) विशेषणरूपेण

• चतुर्द्वारः: four-gated
• चतुर्द्वारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (चत्वारि द्वाराणि यस्य)

• समाकुलः: filled/crowded
• समाकुलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant fortified city labeled ‘Mokṣa’ with four ornate gates; at the foreground, learned dvijas hold palm-leaf manuscripts of Śruti and Smṛti, pointing pilgrims toward the gates.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Smṛti
• Dvijas (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is a structured path grounded in Vedic revelation and remembered tradition, approached through defined disciplines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No individual tirtha is named; the ‘city’ metaphor frames mokṣa in a way resonant with pilgrimage literature.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it points to śruti-smṛti based guidance as authoritative.