Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

पावयंति हि तीर्थानि स्नानदानादसंशयम् । पुष्करालोकनादेव नरः पापात्प्रमु च्यते

Transliteration

pāvayaṃti hi tīrthāni snānadānādasaṃśayam | puṣkarālokanādeva naraḥ pāpātpramu cyate

Translation

தீர்த்தங்கள் நீராடலும் தானமும் மூலம் நிச்சயமாகப் புனிதப்படுத்துகின்றன; ஆனால் புஷ்கரத்தைத் தரிசித்தாலே மனிதன் பாவத்திலிருந்து விடுபடுகிறான்.

Word by Word

• पावयन्ति: they purify
• पावयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पू (धातु) → पावय (णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निश्चय/हेतु-प्रदर्शक (emphatic particle)

• तीर्थानि: sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• स्नानदानात्: from bathing and giving (charity)
• स्नानदानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः: स्नानं च दानं च); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (certainly)

• पुष्करालोकनात्: from merely seeing Puṣkara
• पुष्करालोकनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + आलोकन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: पुष्करस्य आलोकनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• एव: only, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारण (restrictive particle)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रमुच्यते: is released
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (Passive)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim beholds Puṣkara—lake, ghāṭas, and sacred skyline—and a symbolic dark veil of sin dissolves; the scene emphasizes ‘seeing’ as the transformative act.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Tīrtha
• Snāna
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is spiritually transformative: darśana, snāna, and dāna are presented as powerful means of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara, whose very sight (darśana) is said to remove sin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and dāna (charity) are affirmed as purifying tīrtha-acts; additionally, Puṣkara-darśana itself is praised.