Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यस्तान्पूजयते भक्त्या मानुषो भक्तितस्ततः । स यास्यति परं स्थानं यज्ञैरपि सुदुर्लभम्

Transliteration

yastānpūjayate bhaktyā mānuṣo bhaktitastataḥ | sa yāsyati paraṃ sthānaṃ yajñairapi sudurlabham

Translation

ผู้ใดเป็นมนุษย์บูชาเทพเหล่านั้นด้วยภักติ ด้วยภักตินั้นเองเขาจักบรรลุปรมสถาน อันยากยิ่งจะได้มาแม้ด้วยยัญพิธีทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• पूजयते: worships
• पूजयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु) आत्मनेपद
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• मानुषः: a man; human
• मानुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; यः-सम्बन्धे कर्ता

• भक्तितः: due to devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from/through devotion')

• ततः: thereupon; then
• ततः: Sambandha (Consequence marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (therefrom/thereafter)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यास्यति: will go; will attain
• यास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परम्: supreme; highest
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of sthānam)

• स्थानम्: abode; place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• सु-दुर्लभम्: very hard to obtain
• सु-दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः/उपपद-समासः (सु + दुर्लभम्); विशेषण (of sthānam)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (tri-deity worship)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers flowers and lamp to three deities in the kṣetra; above, a luminous ‘parama-sthāna’ is symbolized as a radiant gateway/lotus, indicating the fruit of devotion beyond sacrifice.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (implied)
• Śiva (implied)
• Viṣṇu (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship—especially in a sanctified setting—is portrayed as a direct means to the highest spiritual attainment, beyond mere ritual sacrifice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The merit is stated in the ongoing kṣetra narrative tied to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā (devotional worship) of the installed deities; the emphasis is on bhakti as the efficacious principle.