Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

शंखनामा मुनिः पूर्वं गंधमादनपर्वते । अवर्तत तपः कुर्वन्विष्णुं ध्यायन्समाहितः

Transliteration

śaṃkhanāmā muniḥ pūrvaṃ gaṃdhamādanaparvate | avartata tapaḥ kurvanviṣṇuṃ dhyāyansamāhitaḥ

Translation

Einst weilte der Weise namens Śaṅkha auf dem Berge Gandhamādana; er übte Tapas und sann mit gesammelt-ruhigem Geist unablässig über Viṣṇu nach.

Word by Word

• शंखनामा: named Śaṅkha
• शंखनामा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंख-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शंखस्य नाम यस्य सः) — adjectival epithet

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• गंधमादनपर्वते: on Mount Gandhamādana
• गंधमादनपर्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन-पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (गन्धमादनः पर्वतः)

• अवर्तत: dwelt, remained
• अवर्तत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मरूपे (object of ‘doing’)

• कुर्वन्: doing (performing)
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ध्यायन्: meditating (on)
• ध्यायन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समाहितः: composed, concentrated
• समाहितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to muniḥ)

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary sage Śaṅkha seated in padmāsana on a fragrant Himalayan slope of Gandhamādana, eyes half-closed, mind fixed on Viṣṇu; austere surroundings with sacred trees and distant snowy peaks.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha (sage)
• Gandhamādana
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sites are linked to the tapas and realization of sages; concentrated devotion is depicted as world-sanctifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha is being introduced through its founding sage, Śaṅkha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No public rite is prescribed here; it highlights tapas and dhyāna (meditation) as the cause behind the tīrtha’s sanctity.