Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मोक्षमार्गो द्विजैश्चैव श्रुतिस्मृतिसमुच्चयात् । मोक्षोऽयं नगराकारश्चतुर्द्वार समाकुलः

Transliteration

mokṣamārgo dvijaiścaiva śrutismṛtisamuccayāt | mokṣo'yaṃ nagarākāraścaturdvāra samākulaḥ

Translation

ਮੋਖਸ਼ ਦਾ ਮਾਰਗ ਦ੍ਵਿਜਾਂ ਨੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੁਤੀ ਅਤੇ ਸਮ੍ਰਿਤੀ ਦੀ ਸਾਂਝੀ ਸਾਕਸ਼ੀ ਤੋਂ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਮੋਖਸ਼ ਇੱਕ ਨਗਰ ਵਾਂਗ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਚਾਰ ਦਰਵਾਜ਼ਿਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਸੁਸ਼ੋਭਿਤ ਹੈ।

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.