Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

यदि न स्याद्भवद्भिर्मे दर्शनं चाद्य सत्तमाः । तदन्यान्यपि पापानि कर्ताहं स्यां न संशयः

Transliteration

yadi na syādbhavadbhirme darśanaṃ cādya sattamāḥ | tadanyānyapi pāpāni kartāhaṃ syāṃ na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่สัตบุรุษ หากวันนี้ข้าพเจ้าไม่ได้รับทัศนะอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ของท่านทั้งหลาย ข้าพเจ้าก็คงกระทำบาปอื่น ๆ ต่อไปอย่างแน่นอน

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तवाचक-अव्ययम् (conditional particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु, भवने)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• भवद्भिः: by you (honored ones)
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (भवत्-प्रातिपदिक, आदरार्थ-सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; संबोधनार्थ-आदरप्रयोगः

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अत्र चतुर्थी—'for me'

• दर्शनम्: sight/meeting
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

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

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम्

• सत्तमाः: O best of the good
• सत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + tama (तद्धित-प्रत्यय, अतिशयार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, संबोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), बहुवचनम्; 'श्रेष्ठाः सज्जनाः'

• तत्: then
• तत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तद्-शब्दः अव्ययीभावे/निपातवत्—'then/in that case'

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-अव्ययम् (also/even)

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• कर्ताः: doer
• कर्ताः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kartṛ (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ धातु, करणे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; 'doer' (predicate noun)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• स्याम्: would be
• स्याम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु, भवने)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• न: no / not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

An unnamed repentant man (the thief mentioned later in the narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The penitent addresses the sages as ‘sattamāḥ’, hands folded, expressing that their mere sight saved him from further sin; sages radiate calm authority.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sādhu-darśana is presented as a turning point that arrests the momentum of sin and redirects a person toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader tīrtha-mahātmya framework is in view; this particular line highlights the sanctifying power of holy persons encountered during pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is specified; the ‘prescription’ is the transformative encounter with the virtuous.