Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ गच्छामो नदीं पुण्यां सरस्वतीम् । तस्यास्तटे निवासाय कृत्वा चैवाश्रमं द्विज

Transliteration

tasmāduttiṣṭha gacchāmo nadīṃ puṇyāṃ sarasvatīm | tasyāstaṭe nivāsāya kṛtvā caivāśramaṃ dvija

Translation

Darum steh auf; lasst uns zum heiligen Fluss Sarasvatī gehen. An ihrem Ufer, zum Wohnen, wollen wir einen Āśrama errichten, o Zweimalgeborener.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (ablatival adverb); पञ्चमी-अर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• उत्तिष्ठ: rise up
• उत्तिष्ठ: Preraka-kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः—उत्

• गच्छामः: we go/let us go
• गच्छामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; अत्र आज्ञार्थे/प्रस्तावार्थे (let us go)

• नदीम्: to the river
• नदीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• पुण्याम्: holy
• पुण्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नदीम्/सरस्वतीम्)

• सरस्वतीम्: Sarasvatī (river)
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; नदी-विशेषनाम

• तस्याः: of that (river)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• निवासाय: for residence
• निवासाय: Sampradana/Prayojana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (for the purpose of dwelling)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/indeed)

• आश्रमम्: hermitage
• आश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Puṣpa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Caṇḍaśarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Puṣpa urges Caṇḍaśarman to rise and journey to the holy Sarasvatī, where they will build an āśrama on her bank for residence.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣpa
• Sarasvatī River
• Caṇḍaśarman (dvija)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic life is anchored in sacred geography—living near a tīrtha supports purity, discipline, and spiritual continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī River is explicitly praised as puṇyā (holy) and chosen as the place of residence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is tīrtha-residence and āśrama-establishment—creating a disciplined sacred dwelling near the river.