Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

सदा यज्ञक्रियोपेतः सदा तीर्थपरायणः । शास्त्रश्रवणसंयुक्तो न प्रेतो जायते नरः

Transliteration

sadā yajñakriyopetaḥ sadā tīrthaparāyaṇaḥ | śāstraśravaṇasaṃyukto na preto jāyate naraḥ

Translation

यः सदा यज्ञक्रियाभिः समन्वितः, सदा तीर्थपरायणः, शास्त्रश्रवणसंयुक्तश्च—स नरः प्रेतत्वं न प्राप्नोति।

Word by Word

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण)

• yajñakriyopetaḥ: endowed with sacrificial rites
• yajñakriyopetaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + kriyā (प्रातिपदिक) + upeta (कृदन्त; उप+इ (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘उपेत’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञक्रियया उपेतः = endowed with sacrificial rites)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• tīrthaparāyaṇaḥ: devoted to sacred places
• tīrthaparāyaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थे परायणः = devoted to pilgrimages/sacred places)

• śāstraśravaṇasaṃyuktaḥ: engaged in listening to scriptures
• śāstraśravaṇasaṃyuktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक) + śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (कृदन्त; सम्+युज् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘संयुक्त’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शास्त्रश्रवणेन संयुक्तः = associated with hearing scriptures)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• pretaḥ: a preta
• pretaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय

• jāyate: is born/becomes
• jāyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• naraḥ: man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs a small homa with controlled flames, then is shown walking with staff toward a sacred ford, and later seated among listeners hearing śāstra from a learned reciter—three vignettes in one frame.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Śāstra
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life anchored in sacred action, sacred geography, and sacred listening forms a protective dharmic trajectory beyond death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas in general are praised; no single named location appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular yajña/ritual performance, tīrtha-sevana (pilgrimage), and śāstra-śravaṇa (hearing scripture).