Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । श्रूयते पुष्करंनाम तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् । ब्रह्मणा निर्मितं तत्र यच्च योजनमात्रकम्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | śrūyate puṣkaraṃnāma tīrthaṃ trailokyaviśrutam | brahmaṇā nirmitaṃ tatra yacca yojanamātrakam

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: „Wir haben von dem Tīrtha namens Puṣkara gehört, berühmt in den drei Welten, von Brahmā erschaffen; und seine Ausdehnung dort soll eine Yojana betragen.“

Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: the sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• śrūyate: is heard; is said
• śrūyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• puṣkaram: Puṣkara
• puṣkaram: Karta/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Apposition-marker (नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक निपात (‘by name’)

• tīrtham: a sacred place
• tīrtham: Karta/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अप्पोज़िशन (puṣkaram ... tīrtham)

• trailokya-viśrutam: renowned in the three worlds
• trailokya-viśrutam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri-lokya (प्रातिपदिक) + viśruta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (trailokye viśrutam / trailokyasya viśrutam)

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• nirmitam: created
• nirmitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mā (धातु) + nir- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (made/created)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• yat: which
• yat: Karta/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• yojana-mātrakam: measuring one yojana (only)
• yojana-mātrakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yojana (प्रातिपदिक) + mātraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (yojanasya mātram)

Speaker

Ṛṣis

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (implied respondent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages speak in chorus, gesturing to an imagined map-like vista: a vast sacred zone around Puṣkara, with Brahmā symbolically ‘establishing’ the tīrtha—perhaps placing a lotus or pouring water to consecrate it.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Brahmā
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is rooted in divine establishment and cosmic renown; Puṣkara is framed as Brahmā’s own sacred foundation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara-tīrtha, famed across the three worlds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it introduces Puṣkara’s fame, origin (Brahmā), and sacred extent.