Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

शुद्धान्तः करणैः सूत भूतहिंसाविवर्जितैः । यथा संप्राप्यते मोक्षो ब्राह्मणैः सुचिरादपि

Transliteration

śuddhāntaḥ karaṇaiḥ sūta bhūtahiṃsāvivarjitaiḥ | yathā saṃprāpyate mokṣo brāhmaṇaiḥ sucirādapi

Translation

ஓ சூதரே! தூய உள்ளக்கருவிகளுடன், உயிர்களுக்கு வன்முறை செய்யாமல்—நீண்ட காலம் எடுத்தாலும்—பிராமணர்கள் மோட்சத்தை எவ்வாறு அடைகிறார்கள் என்பதைச் சொல்லுங்கள்.

Word by Word

• शुद्धान्तः: pure within
• शुद्धान्तः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier/क्रियाविशेषणार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (शुद्धः अन्तः = pure within)

• करणैः: with instruments/means (faculties)
• करणैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूतहिंसाविवर्जितैः: free from harming living beings
• भूतहिंसाविवर्जितैः: Karaṇa (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + हिंसा (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (वि-√वृज्/वर्ज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘भूतहिंसया विवर्जित’ (devoid of violence to beings); करणैः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• यथा: how/so that
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/उपायवाचक-अव्यय (how/in what way)

• संप्राप्यते: is attained
• संप्राप्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणैः: by brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सुचिरात्: after a very long time
• सुचिरात्: Adhikaraṇa (Time-from/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + चिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययवत् (ablatival adverb): ‘सुचिरात्’ = after a very long time

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages) addressing Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages address Sūta with earnest calm, emphasizing inner purity and non-violence; imagery includes a clear water pot (symbol of purity), a deer nearby unharmed (ahiṃsā), and a quiet shrine in the distance (tīrtha as support).

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True liberation is grounded in inner purity and non-violence, even if the path is gradual and not driven by quick, tamasic ‘shortcuts’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate focus is not a site but the dhārmic means to mokṣa discussed within the chapter’s pilgrimage narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral-ritual discipline is implied: cultivate purified inner faculties and practice ahiṃsā (avoid harm to beings).