Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

निर्मला निष्कलंका ये ते मृताः स्वर्गगामिनः । व्रतोपवासनिरताः सत्याचारपरायणाः । अहिंसानिरताः शांतास्ते नराः स्वर्गगामिनः

Transliteration

nirmalā niṣkalaṃkā ye te mṛtāḥ svargagāminaḥ | vratopavāsaniratāḥ satyācāraparāyaṇāḥ | ahiṃsāniratāḥ śāṃtāste narāḥ svargagāminaḥ

Translation

ผู้ที่บริสุทธิ์และไร้มลทิน เมื่อสิ้นชีวิตย่อมไปสวรรค์ ผู้ที่ตั้งมั่นในวัตรและการอดอาหาร ยืนหยัดในความสัตย์จริง ประพฤติอหิงสาและดำรงอยู่ในความสงบ—บุรุษเช่นนั้นแลย่อมถึงสวรรค์

Word by Word

• निर्मलाः: pure
• निर्मलाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• निष्कलङ्काः: spotless
• निष्कलङ्काः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्कलङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मृताः: having died
• मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कर्तरि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्वर्गगामिनः: goers to heaven
• स्वर्गगामिनः: Predicate/Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + गामिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः

• व्रतोपवासनिरताः: devoted to vows and fasting
• व्रतोपवासनिरताः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √रम् with नि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समाहार/द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद-तत्पुरुषः (व्रते च उपवासे च निरताः)

• सत्याचारपरायणाः: intent on truthful conduct
• सत्याचारपरायणाः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सत्याचारस्य परायणाः)

• अहिंसानिरताः: devoted to non-violence
• अहिंसानिरताः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √रम् with नि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अहिंसायां निरताः)

• शान्ताः: peaceful
• शान्ताः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √शम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (pacified/peaceful)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्वर्गगामिनः: goers to heaven
• स्वर्गगामिनः: Predicate/Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + गामिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

A narrator/teacher voice within the Vastrāpatha Māhātmya (contextual speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of pilgrims in simple attire: some fasting, some meditating, some offering water; their faces calm and luminous, symbolizing nirmalatā and śānti; a shrine stands in the background.

Characters & Entities

• svarga
• vrata
• upavāsa
• ahiṃsā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity, truth, non-violence, and disciplined austerity (vrata/upavāsa) are presented as a direct path to auspicious post-mortem destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya within Prabhāsa, framing ethical dharma as fitting conduct for that sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vows (vrata) and fasting (upavāsa) are explicitly praised as disciplines supporting dharmic life.