Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

परोपकारसंयुक्तो नित्यं जपपरायणः । स्वाध्यायनिरतश्चैव न याति नरकं द्विज

Transliteration

paropakārasaṃyukto nityaṃ japaparāyaṇaḥ | svādhyāyanirataścaiva na yāti narakaṃ dvija

Translation

اے دِوِج (برہمن)! جو پرُوپکار میں لگا رہے، روزانہ جپ میں ثابت قدم ہو اور سدا سوادھیائے (مقدس مطالعہ) میں مشغول رہے—وہ نرک میں نہیں جاتا۔

Word by Word

• परोपकारसंयुक्तः: engaged in helping others
• परोपकारसंयुक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परोपकार (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (परोपकारेण संयुक्तः = engaged in helping others)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• जपपरायणः: devoted to recitation (japa)
• जपपरायणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जपे परायणः = devoted to japa)

• स्वाध्यायनिरतः: engaged in Vedic study
• स्वाध्यायनिरतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वाध्याये निरतः = engaged in self-study)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विज: O twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Yama (contextual, continuing instruction in this passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija/brāhmaṇa (explicitly addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa listens as Yama enumerates three pillars: helping a needy family, counting japa on a mālā, and reading from a palm-leaf manuscript; the atmosphere is quiet and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily mantra-japa, scriptural study, and selfless service together form a protective dharma that leads away from naraka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as general tīrtha-māhātmya instruction within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, emphasizing conduct that supports tīrtha-benefits rather than naming a single site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular japa (mantra repetition) and svādhyāya (recitation/study of sacred texts).