Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

शुक उवाच । संस्कारैराप्यते मुक्तिर्यदि कर्म शुभं विना । पाखंडिनोऽपि यास्यंति तन्मुक्तिं व्रतधारिणः

Transliteration

śuka uvāca | saṃskārairāpyate muktiryadi karma śubhaṃ vinā | pākhaṃḍino'pi yāsyaṃti tanmuktiṃ vratadhāriṇaḥ

Translation

ศุกะกล่าวว่า: หากความหลุดพ้นจะได้มาเพียงด้วยสังสการ โดยปราศจากกรรมอันเป็นกุศลแล้ว แม้พวกหน้าซื่อใจคดก็จักถึงความหลุดพ้นนั้นได้ เพียงถือวัตรภายนอกเท่านั้น

Word by Word

• शुकः: Śuka
• शुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• संस्कारैः: by sacraments/rites
• संस्कारैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• आप्यते: is attained
• आप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• कर्म: action/deed
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; अत्र सामान्यतः 'कर्म (action)'

• शुभम्: good/auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय/उपपद (preposition-like indeclinable: 'without', governs accusative)

• पाखण्डिनः: heretics/hypocrites
• पाखण्डिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाखण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• यास्यन्ति: will go/attain
• यास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मुक्तिम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• व्रतधारिणः: vow-observers
• व्रतधारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('holders of vows'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śuka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śuka speaks sharply yet calmly, as if exposing a logical flaw: a contrast vignette may show a hypocrite with ostentatious vows in the background, while Śuka points to the heart (inner conduct).

Characters & Entities

• Śuka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External rites and vows are insufficient without inner and ethical righteousness (śubha karma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse teaches discernment about liberation within the broader pilgrimage-literature setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implicitly critiques relying only on saṃskāras and outward vratas, stressing the necessity of righteous conduct.