Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

वासुदेवसमादेशात्तत्र गत्वाथ सांप्रतम् । गयाकूपे करिष्यामि श्राद्धं भक्त्या द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

vāsudevasamādeśāttatra gatvātha sāṃpratam | gayākūpe kariṣyāmi śrāddhaṃ bhaktyā dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Auf Geheiß Vāsudevas bin ich nun dorthin gegangen und werde am Gayā-kūpa in hingebungsvoller Andacht das Śrāddha vollziehen, o erhabenste der Brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

• वासुदेवसमादेशात्: from/according to Vāsudeva’s command
• वासुदेवसमादेशात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेवसमादेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — Ablative Singular; (वासुदेव + समादेश) तत्पुरुष ‘by the command of Vāsudeva’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having gone’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/particle) — sequence marker

• साम्प्रतम्: now
• साम्प्रतम्: Avyaya (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time) — ‘now/at present’

• गयाकूपे: at the Gayā well
• गयाकूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गयाकूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular; (गया + कूप) तत्पुरुष

• करिष्यामि: I will perform
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन — 1st sg future

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite (ancestral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental Singular

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन — Vocative Plural; (द्विज + उत्तम) तत्पुरुष

Speaker

Indra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā-kūpa (at Camatkārapura)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, acting under Vāsudeva’s directive, stands beside a sacred well called Gayā-kūpa in Camatkārapura, preparing śrāddha offerings; brāhmaṇas assist with kuśa, piṇḍa, and water vessels; the atmosphere is solemn and devotional.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Vāsudeva
• Gayā-kūpa
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites become especially potent when performed with devotion at sanctified tīrthas and in obedience to divine guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā-kūpa is named as the sacred spot for performing śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indra intends to perform śrāddha at Gayā-kūpa, explicitly “with bhakti,” under Vāsudeva’s instruction.