Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कथं तत्र पदं जातं विष्णोरव्यक्तजन्मनः । कथं निवेद्यते तत्र सम्यगात्माऽ यनद्वये

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathaṃ tatra padaṃ jātaṃ viṣṇoravyaktajanmanaḥ | kathaṃ nivedyate tatra samyagātmā' yanadvaye

Translation

ঋষিগণ বললেন—অব্যক্ত-জন্ম বিষ্ণুর সেই ‘পদচিহ্ন’ সেখানে কীভাবে উৎপন্ন হল? আর অয়ন-দ্বয়ে (উত্তরায়ণ-দক্ষিণায়ণ) সেখানে যথাবিধি আত্মনিবেদন কীভাবে করা হয়?

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

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

• पदम्: a footprint/step/place
• पदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• जातम्: arisen/produced
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (as predicate: 'has arisen')

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अव्यक्तजन्मनः: whose birth is unmanifest
• अव्यक्तजन्मनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास (genitive/determinative: 'of one whose birth is unmanifest'); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (विशेषण of विष्णोः)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• निवेद्यते: is made known/declared
• निवेद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

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

• सम्यक्: properly/fully
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• आत्मा: self/soul
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अयनद्वये: in the two ayanas (two courses/paths)
• अयनद्वये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वि (संख्या)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical compound: 'two ayanas'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Viṣṇu-pāda)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (addressed as Sūtaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages questions Sūta about a sacred footprint of Viṣṇu and the proper offering during the two ayanas; the footprint is shown as a luminous pāda-cihna on stone within a tīrtha precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Sages (Ṛṣayaḥ)
• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇupada-tīrtha
• Dakṣiṇāyana
• Uttarāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places invite inquiry: understanding a tirtha’s origin and the right method of worship deepens faith and practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇupada-tīrtha, identified with Viṣṇu’s ‘Footprint/Step’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks about the correct method of ātma-nivedana during both ayanas; details are expected in the subsequent narration.