Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 984

Devanagari script

शक्रोऽपि श्राद्धकर्माणि कृत्वा तेषां दिवौकसाम् । तीर्थयात्रापरो भूत्वा तथैव च व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

śakro'pi śrāddhakarmāṇi kṛtvā teṣāṃ divaukasām | tīrthayātrāparo bhūtvā tathaiva ca vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

Śakra ebenfalls: Nachdem er für jene himmlischen Wesen die Śrāddha-Riten vollzogen hatte, wurde er der Pilgerfahrt zu den Tīrtha hingegeben und blieb beständig auf eben diesem Weg.

Word by Word

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• श्राद्धकर्माणि: śrāddha rites
• श्राद्धकर्माणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha-karman (प्रातिपदिक; श्राद्ध + कर्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष (श्राद्धस्य कर्माणि)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दिवौकसाम्: of the dwellers in heaven (gods)
• दिवौकसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diva-okas (प्रातिपदिक; दिव + ओकस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष (दिवि ओकः यस्य/येषाम्)

• तीर्थयात्रापरः: devoted to pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्रापरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīrtha-yātrā-para (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + यात्रा + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (तीर्थयात्रायां परः = devoted to pilgrimage)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तथैव: in the same way
• तथैव: Adverbial modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā-eva (अव्यय; तथा + एव)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/तुल्यत्व (just so/in the same way)

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

• व्यवस्थितः: remained/was stationed
• व्यवस्थितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ava-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (within the Viśvāmitra-framed narration; explicit speaker not marked in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bālamaṇḍana Tīrtha / Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nara-adhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra performs śrāddha offerings for celestial beings, then sets out with attendants toward a sequence of tīrthas, embodying disciplined pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Divaukas (celestials)
• Tīrthayātrā
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual duty (śrāddha) and sacred travel (tīrtha-yātrā) are complementary expressions of dharma, even for divine rulers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse broadly praises tīrtha-yātrā within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrthamāhātmya flow; the immediate context remains Hāṭakeśvara/Bālamaṇḍana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha-karmāṇi (rites of offering) and dedication to tīrtha pilgrimage are highlighted.