Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

पंचभूतं निवासं यज्ज्ञानरूपमिदं पदम् । पदं प्राप्य विमुक्तिः स्याज्जन्मसंसारबंधनात्

Transliteration

paṃcabhūtaṃ nivāsaṃ yajjñānarūpamidaṃ padam | padaṃ prāpya vimuktiḥ syājjanmasaṃsārabaṃdhanāt

Translation

இந்தப் பதம்—அதன் வாசம் பஞ்சபூதங்கள், அதன் இயல்பு ஞானம்—இதனை அடைந்தால் பிறப்பு-சம்சாரப் பந்தத்திலிருந்து விடுதலை உண்டாகும்.

Word by Word

• पञ्चभूतम्: the five elements (as a set)
• पञ्चभूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च-भूत (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + भूत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निवासम्: abode
• निवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• ज्ञानरूपम्: having the form of knowledge
• ज्ञानरूपम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान-रूप (प्रातिपदिक; ज्ञान + रूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshya (Correlative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पदम्: station/state
• पदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पदम्: the station
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having attained’

• विमुक्तिः: liberation
• विमुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• जन्मसंसारबंधनात्: from the bondage of birth and transmigration
• जन्मसंसारबंधनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म-संसार-बंधन (प्रातिपदिक; जन्म + संसार + बंधन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The yogin’s form subtly composed of five elemental colors/textures (earth, water, fire, air, ether) dissolves into a clear luminous knowledge-field; broken chains labeled ‘janma’ and ‘saṃsāra’ fall away.

Characters & Entities

• pañcabhūta (five elements)
• saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The culmination of yoga is entry into a knowledge-natured state beyond elemental bondage, resulting in liberation from repeated birth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse presents the ultimate ‘padam’ as an inner destination; it does not identify a geographic tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is stated; the instruction is attainment of the jñānarūpa ‘padam’ through yogic realization.