Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

पुण्यदानेन याम्येन मुक्तिर्भवति शाश्वती । वर्णैस्तथाश्रमैरेव प्रणवेन समन्वितैः

Transliteration

puṇyadānena yāmyena muktirbhavati śāśvatī | varṇaistathāśramaireva praṇavena samanvitaiḥ

Translation

مقررہ طریقے کے مطابق نیکی کے دان سے ابدی نجات حاصل ہوتی ہے؛ یہ تعلیم ورنوں اور آشرموں کے لیے بھی ہے، جب پرنَو ‘اوم’ کے ساتھ ملا ہو۔

Word by Word

• पुण्यदानेन: by meritorious giving
• पुण्यदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य-दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यस्य दानम्)

• याम्येन: pertaining to Yama / of the southern (rite)
• याम्येन: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पुण्यदानेन)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवति: arises, occurs
• भवति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शाश्वती: eternal
• शाश्वती: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying मुक्तिः)

• वर्णैः: with/through the varṇas (classes/sounds)
• वर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: likewise)

• आश्रमैः: with/through the āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• प्रणवेन: with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• समन्वितैः: endowed/combined (with)
• समन्वितैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; √अन्वि/अनु+√इ भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a tīrtha offers regulated gifts (cloth, food, gold, cows) to a learned brāhmaṇa; above, a subtle Oṃ radiates, signifying praṇava-sañyoga and liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Varṇa
• Āśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna performed in a dharmic manner, aligned with one’s disciplined life, is portrayed as a cause of enduring liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular tīrtha is not named in this verse; it gives general dharma guidance within the tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform puṇya-dāna according to injunctions; for those qualified within varṇāśrama, practice is stated as accompanied by the praṇava (Oṃ).