Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तस्मात्प्राग्धरणीपृष्ठं व्रजध्वं मुनिसत्तमाः । बालमेनं समादाय तस्मिन्नेवास्य मंदिरं

Transliteration

tasmātprāgdharaṇīpṛṣṭhaṃ vrajadhvaṃ munisattamāḥ | bālamenaṃ samādāya tasminnevāsya maṃdiraṃ

Translation

Darum, o erhabenste der Weisen, kehrt zur Oberfläche der Erde zurück. Nehmt diesen Knaben mit euch, und eben dort errichtet ihm seine Wohnstätte.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययार्थे — 'therefore/from that (reason)'

• prāk: eastward
• prāk: Desha (Direction/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāk (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (दिक्कालवाचक) — 'eastward/forward/before'

• dharaṇī-pṛṣṭham: the earth’s surface
• dharaṇī-pṛṣṭham: Gati/Desha (Goal/देश-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dharaṇyāḥ pṛṣṭham); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'surface of the earth' (goal)

• vrajadhvam: go
• vrajadhvam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 'go (you all)'

• muni-sattamāḥ: O best sages
• muni-sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (munīnāṃ sattamāḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, बहुवचन — 'O best of sages'

• bālam: the boy
• bālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• enam: this (him)
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस, द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'this (him)'

• samādāya: having taken
• samādāya: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव — 'having taken'

• tasmin: in that (place)
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — 'in that (place)'

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण-निपात) — emphasis

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन — 'of him/its'

• mandiram: dwelling, abode
• mandiram: Karma/Prayojya (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'dwelling/temple' (sentence continues)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munisattamāḥ (best of sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā instructs the sages to return to earth with the boy and establish his dwelling/shrine at the very place connected to the event, implying the founding of a sacred seat for future pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• munis (sages)
• the boy
• earth (dharaṇī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A divine boon is to be lived out in the world; sacred destiny is fulfilled through dharmic action and proper placement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers back to the locale already reached in the narrative (near Camatkārapura) but does not specify a named tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it gives an instruction to escort the boy and establish his residence/dwelling in the intended place.