Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

विना स्नानं तु यत्कर्म पुण्यकार्यमयं शुभम् । क्रियते निष्फलं ब्रह्मंस्तत्प्रगृह्णंति राक्षसाः

Transliteration

vinā snānaṃ tu yatkarma puṇyakāryamayaṃ śubham | kriyate niṣphalaṃ brahmaṃstatpragṛhṇaṃti rākṣasāḥ

Translation

โอ้พราหมณ์ กรรมอันเป็นมงคลเพื่อก่อบุญใด ๆ หากกระทำโดยมิได้อาบน้ำชำระ ย่อมไร้ผล และบุญนั้นถูกรากษสฉกฉวยไป

Word by Word

• विना: without
• विना: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपसर्गसदृशं निपातः (without)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object of ‘without’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘विना’ योगे द्वितीया

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपातः (but/indeed)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Relative modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-विशेषणम् (whatever)

• कर्म: act/rite
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पुण्यकार्यमयम्: consisting of meritorious deeds
• पुण्यकार्यमयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘पुण्य-कार्य’ (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष) + ‘मय’ = तन्मयम् (consisting of meritorious acts)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (is done)

• निष्फलम्: fruitless
• निष्फलम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नञ्/निः-तत्पुरुषः = फलरहितम् (fruitless)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ऋषि/ब्राह्मण-सम्बोधनः

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘that’ (referring to the act)

• प्रगृह्णन्ति: seize / take away
• प्रगृह्णन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• राक्षसाः: demons
• राक्षसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (addressed as ‘brahman’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim about to offer worship is halted by the reminder of snāna; shadowy rākṣasas hover to snatch away unprotected merit, while the tīrtha waters gleam as the safeguard.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (addressed listener)
• Rākṣasas
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is treated as a necessary foundation for dharmic action; without it, merit does not properly accrue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha; the verse emphasizes the general dharma-rule of bathing as prerequisite to auspicious rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not perform meritorious/auspicious rites without first performing snāna (ritual bathing).