Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

यंयं काममभिध्यायन्व्रतमेतत्समाचरेत् । तंतं समाप्नुयान्मर्त्यो निष्कामो मोक्षमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

yaṃyaṃ kāmamabhidhyāyanvratametatsamācaret | taṃtaṃ samāpnuyānmartyo niṣkāmo mokṣamāpnuyāt

Translation

جو جو خواہش دل میں رکھ کر یہ ورت کرے، فانی انسان وہی مقصد پا لیتا ہے؛ اور جو بے غرض ہو کر کرے وہ موکش (نجات) پاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• यम्: whatever
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति (repetition) ‘यं यं’ = ‘whatever’

• यम्: (any) which
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); (reduplicated)

• कामम्: desire, wish
• कामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभिध्यायन्: meditating on
• अभिध्यायन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ) ‘meditating/desiring’; कर्तरि

• व्रतम्: the vow
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) व्रतम्-विशेषणम्

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• तम्: that (result)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति ‘तं तं’

• तम्: that very
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• समाप्नुयात्: would attain / may attain
• समाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• निष्कामः: desireless
• निष्कामः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/निपात) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) मर्त्यः-विशेषणम्

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आप्नुयात्: would attain / may attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice); specific speaker not explicit in this verse

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two devotees at the same shrine: one makes a specific wish with focused gaze; another offers with serene detachment, eyes lowered, symbolizing niṣkāma worship leading to liberation.

Characters & Entities

• mokṣa
• vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The same vow can yield worldly aims when performed with desire, but grants liberation when performed with renunciation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context, the focus is on the sanctifying power of the Śivarātri observance associated with tīrtha-culture rather than naming a single site in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To undertake and properly perform “this vow” (vrata)—contextually the Śivarātri-related observance described in the surrounding verses.