Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यत्किंचित्क्रियते कर्म तत्र स्नानादिकं शुभम् । तत्सर्वं जायते तेषां पुरा दत्तं स्वयंभुवा

Transliteration

yatkiṃcitkriyate karma tatra snānādikaṃ śubham | tatsarvaṃ jāyate teṣāṃ purā dattaṃ svayaṃbhuvā

Translation

அந்நேரத்தில் செய்யப்படும் எந்தக் கருமமும்—குளியல் முதலான நற்கருமங்களும் கூட—அவர்களுக்கு பலனளிக்கும்; ஏனெனில் முற்காலத்தில் ஸ்வயம்பூ (பிரம்மா) அதை அவர்களுக்கு அளித்தான்.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (सम्बन्धसूचक)

• किञ्चित्: anything, some
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcid (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (indefinite)

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (is done)

• कर्म: act, rite, deed
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there, in that (context)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• स्नानादिकम्: bathing and the like
• स्नानादिकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; स्नानादि = स्नानं च आदयः (bathing etc.)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अनुवादक)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• जायते: arises, comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• तेषाम्: for them/of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb of time)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा धातु) → datta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (given)

• स्वयंभुवा: by Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयंभुवा: Karana (Agent-in-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayaṃbhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Deva (likely Śiva) speaking to Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sandhyā/Rātri-kāla (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sureśvarī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The deity explains that any act done then—even bathing—yields fruit for those beings, because Brahmā granted it long ago; evokes Brahmā’s decree hovering behind the dialogue.

Characters & Entities

• Svayaṃbhū (Brahmā)
• Dānava (implied)
• Piśāca/Bhūta/Rākṣasa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the Purāṇic doctrine of kāla (time) affecting ritual fruit: even good acts can be empowered differently depending on who is entitled at that time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named; the verse explains ritual efficacy within the broader tīrtha-discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and other auspicious rites are referenced, with emphasis on how their fruits may accrue under specific temporal conditions.