Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तद्वोऽहं कीर्तयिष्यामि नमस्कृत्य द्विजोतमाः । तस्मै देवाधिदेवाय निर्गुणाय गुणात्मने

Transliteration

tadvo'haṃ kīrtayiṣyāmi namaskṛtya dvijotamāḥ | tasmai devādhidevāya nirguṇāya guṇātmane

Translation

O ihr Besten unter den Zweifachgeborenen, nachdem ich mich ehrfürchtig verneigt habe, will ich es euch nun darlegen—zum Lob jenes Gottes über allen Göttern, der jenseits der Guṇas (nirguṇa) ist und doch ihr Wesen in sich trägt.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन (contextually object: ‘that’); सर्वनाम

• वः: of you / to you (for you)
• वः: Sampradana/Adhikarana (Recipient/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचन (enclitic pronoun)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कीर्तयिष्यामि: I will narrate/proclaim
• कीर्तयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; √कीर्त्/कीर्तयति, चुरादि)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नमस्कृत्य: having bowed/saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् + √कृ (धातु; क्त्वान्त/अव्ययीभाव-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having saluted’

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोग (O best of twice-born)

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, चतुर्थी एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवाधिदेवाय: to the God above gods
• देवाधिदेवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + अधि + देव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचन; ‘देवानाम् अधिदेवः’ (over-god of gods)

• निर्गुणाय: to the attributeless
• निर्गुणाय: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचन; विशेषण

• गुणात्मने: to the one whose essence is qualities
• गुणात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचन; ‘गुणाः आत्मा यस्य/गुणात्मकः’ (having qualities as essence)

Speaker

Narrator of the Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual Purāṇic narrator addressing dvijas)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrator bows to the supreme Devādhideva and begins a reverent stotra-like recounting; dvijottamas listen attentively, hands folded, as the theological frame is set.

Characters & Entities

• Devādhideva (Supreme Lord)
• Nirguṇa
• Guṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas harmonize transcendence and immanence: the Supreme is beyond attributes yet also present as the source of all manifested qualities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is an invocatory/theological verse; it does not name a particular tīrtha in the line itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (reverential salutation) as the proper beginning before sacred narration and teaching.