Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

विना येन शुभं कर्म संपूर्णं नैव जायते । पवित्राणां पवित्रं यो मङ्गलानां च मङ्गलम्

Transliteration

vinā yena śubhaṃ karma saṃpūrṇaṃ naiva jāyate | pavitrāṇāṃ pavitraṃ yo maṅgalānāṃ ca maṅgalam

Translation

येन विना शुभकर्म न कदापि सम्यक् सम्पूर्णं भवति; स एव पवित्राणां पवित्रं, मङ्गलानां च परमं मङ्गलम्।

Word by Word

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Prepositional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोग/अभाव (preposition/adverb: without)

• येन: by which/with whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कर्म: rite/action
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संपूर्णम्: complete
• संपूर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्म-विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle: indeed/just)

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (comes into being)

• पवित्राणाम्: of the pure things
• पवित्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पवित्रम्: the purest/purifier
• पवित्रम्: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• यः: who/which
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मङ्गलानाम्: of auspicious things
• मङ्गलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• मङ्गलम्: the auspicious (supreme auspiciousness)
• मङ्गलम्: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pippala/Aśvattha-vṛkṣa (as tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable Aśvattha stands at a tīrtha; devotees circle it with lamps and flowers; the atmosphere is explicitly ‘maṅgala’, as if every rite finds completion at its shade.

Characters & Entities

• Pavitra (purifier principle)
• Maṅgala (auspiciousness)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All dharmic rites depend upon a supreme principle of purity and auspiciousness; without it, ritual remains incomplete.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is doctrinal within the tīrtha chapter and does not specify a named site in isolation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It stresses the indispensable element that completes auspicious rites (pavitra/maṅgala), implying one should ensure that sanctifying component is present.