Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

अत्रैवाराधयिष्यामि निजतीर्थे सदाऽच्यु तम् । तथा तपः करिष्यामि भिक्षान्नकृतभोजना

Transliteration

atraivārādhayiṣyāmi nijatīrthe sadā'cyu tam | tathā tapaḥ kariṣyāmi bhikṣānnakṛtabhojanā

Translation

„Hier selbst, an meinem eigenen heiligen Tīrtha, werde ich Acyuta (Viṣṇu) unablässig verehren. Und hier werde ich Tapas üben, von Almosen leben und nur das als Speise nehmen, was durch Betteln erlangt wird.“

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle: indeed/only)

• आराधयिष्यामि: I will worship
• आराधयिष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √राध् (धातु) (आ-उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative sense not intended (denominative from आराधयति)

• निजतीर्थे: in (my) own sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• निजतीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (निजस्य तीर्थम्)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• अच्युतम्: Acyuta (Vishnu)
• अच्युतम्: Karman (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विष्णोः नाम

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/in that manner)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karman (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कर्मरूपे)

• करिष्यामि: I will perform
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भिक्षान्नकृतभोजना: one who eats only alms-food / having her meal as alms-food
• भिक्षान्नकृतभोजना: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिक्षा + अन्न + कृत + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: भिक्षायाः अन्नम् (भिक्षान्न) + कृतभोजना (कृतं भोजनं यस्या/या) — व्यवहारतः ‘भिक्षान्नमेव कृतभोजना’ (भिक्षान्न-भोजिनी)

Speaker

A woman ascetic/devotee (speaker within the narrative; name not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: nija-tīrtha (as termed in verse)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the river-ford, Bhaṭṭikā stands before a simple shrine, offering flowers and water to Acyuta; her ascetic bowl indicates bhikṣā-anna, and her posture shows unwavering daily worship.

Characters & Entities

• Acyuta (Viṣṇu)
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast bhakti joined with disciplined tapas—especially simplicity and alms-living—purifies the devotee and sanctifies life at a tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises devotion at one’s “nija-tīrtha” (personal/local sacred ford); the exact named tīrtha is not stated in this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous worship of Acyuta and ascetic practice while subsisting on bhikṣā (food obtained by begging).