Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पश्चिमे वालखिल्यैश्च जपस्नानपरायणैः । तत्राश्चर्यमभूद्यद्वै पूर्वं ब्राह्मण सत्तमाः । आश्रमे चतुरास्यस्य तद्वो वक्ष्यामि सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

paścime vālakhilyaiśca japasnānaparāyaṇaiḥ | tatrāścaryamabhūdyadvai pūrvaṃ brāhmaṇa sattamāḥ | āśrame caturāsyasya tadvo vakṣyāmi sāṃpratam

Translation

وفي الجهةِ الغربيّة، على يدِ فَالَخِلْيَةَ المداومين على الجَپَا والاغتسالِ الطقسيّ، وقعَتْ أعجوبةٌ في الزمنِ السالف، يا خيرَ البراهمة، في أشرمِ ذي الوجوهِ الأربعة (براهما). وسأقصّها عليكم الآن.

Word by Word

• paścime: in the western (region)
• paścime: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरणे/Locative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (स्थानवाचकः)

• vālakhilyaiḥ: by/with the Vālakhilyas (sages)
• vālakhilyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālakhilya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• japa-snāna-parāyaṇaiḥ: devoted to japa and bathing
• japa-snāna-parāyaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक) + snāna (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जपस्नाने परायणाः = devoted to recitation and bathing)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• āścaryam: a wonder
• āścaryam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āścarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता/Subject), एकवचनम्

• abhūt: occurred/was
• abhūt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (Aorist/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचकं (relative pronoun)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• pūrvam: formerly/before
• pūrvam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• brāhmaṇa: O brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• sattamāḥ: O best of the good (excellent ones)
• sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat-tama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), बहुवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सन्तः एव उत्तमाः)

• āśrame: in the hermitage
• āśrame: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरणे/Locative), एकवचनम्

• caturāsyasya: of the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• caturāsyasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur-āsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्धे/Genitive), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (चत्वारि आस्यानि यस्य = four-faced, i.e., Brahmā)

• tat: that (matter)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म/Object), एकवचनम्

• vaḥ: to you / for you
• vaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्धे/Genitive) वा चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (सम्प्रदाने/Dative), बहुवचनम्; एन्क्लिटिक-रूपम्

• vakṣyāmi: I will tell
• vakṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• sāṃpratam: now/at present
• sāṃpratam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃprata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: at present/now)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturāsya-āśrama tīrtha (Brahmā’s hermitage) in the western region

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / sages (audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A western sacred grove with a serene hermitage of four-faced Brahmā; Vālakhilya sages perform japa beside a waterbody, preparing the audience for an impending marvel.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vālakhilya sages
• Caturāsya (Brahmā)
• Āśrama (hermitage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent disciplines like japa and snāna, practiced by vow-keeping sages, are portrayed as catalysts for divine or wondrous outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The western sector of the same tīrtha-region, especially Caturāsya (Brahmā)’s āśrama, is highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (mantra repetition) and snāna (ritual bathing) are named as the Vālakhilyas’ primary practices.