Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यथोक्तविधिना दृष्ट्वा नरः पापात्प्रमुच्यते । यो यं काममभिध्यायन्क्षेत्रेष्वेतेषु भक्तितः

Transliteration

yathoktavidhinā dṛṣṭvā naraḥ pāpātpramucyate | yo yaṃ kāmamabhidhyāyankṣetreṣveteṣu bhaktitaḥ

Translation

เมื่อได้ไปนมัสการตามวิธีที่กล่าวไว้ บุคคลย่อมพ้นจากบาป และผู้ใดด้วยศรัทธาในเกษตรเหล่านี้ ระลึกภาวนาถึงความปรารถนาใดประการหนึ่ง—

Word by Word

• यथोक्तविधिना: by the prescribed method
• यथोक्तविधिना: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यथा-उक्त-विधि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यथोक्तः विधिः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen/visited
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (Source/separation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• प्रमुच्यते: is freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय)

• यम्: which/whom
• यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कामम्: desire/wish
• कामम्: Karma (Object; apposition to yam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभिध्यायन्: meditating upon
• अभिध्यायन्: Karta (Agent participle qualifying yaḥ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षेत्रेषु: in the sacred fields
• क्षेत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• एतेषु: in these
• एतेषु: Visheshana (Determiner of kṣetreṣu)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भक्तितः: out of devotion/devoutly
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/motive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative) एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverbial: 'out of devotion')

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣetra-traya (Kurukṣetra–Hāṭakeśvara–Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, hands folded, approaches the kṣetra with prescribed conduct; Sūta’s words hover as a ‘vidhi’ injunction—darśana done rightly frees from sin; devotion and focused contemplation are central.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not merely travel: darśana performed with prescribed discipline and devotion becomes a means of purification and sanctified intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching applies to the previously named three kṣetras (Kurukṣetra, Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, and Prābhāsika).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (visiting/seeing) ‘according to the stated vidhi’ and devotional contemplation (abhidhyāna) within the kṣetra.