Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

गन्तव्यं च ततोऽस्माभिः क्षीरोदे केशवालये । मैवं दीनैस्तथा भाव्यं पराश्रयनिवासिभिः

Transliteration

gantavyaṃ ca tato'smābhiḥ kṣīrode keśavālaye | maivaṃ dīnaistathā bhāvyaṃ parāśrayanivāsibhiḥ

Translation

„Danach müssen wir nach Kṣīroda gehen, in die Wohnstatt Keśavas. Wer im Schutz eines anderen lebt, soll nicht in solche Niedergeschlagenheit versinken.“

Word by Word

• gantavyam: must be gone (we must go)
• gantavyam: Kriyā (Obligation/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + tavya (तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligation); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (it must be gone)

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

• tataḥ: from there, then
• tataḥ: Apādāna (Source/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (from there/thereafter)

• asmābhiḥ: by us / we
• asmābhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (Instrumental plural: by us)

• kṣīrode: in the Milk Ocean
• kṣīrode: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣīra + uda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (क्षीरस्य उदः/उदधिः) (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• keśavālaye: in Keśava’s abode
• keśavālaye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (केशवस्य आलये) (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात (prohibitive particle: do not)

• evaṃ: thus
• evaṃ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus)

• dīnaiḥ: by the dejected/poor (ones)
• dīnaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• tathā: so
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/अनुरूपवाचक (adverb: so, in that way)

• bhāvyam: should be done/should be (behaved)
• bhāvyam: Kriyā (Obligation/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु) + yat (यत्/य)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/necessity); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘एवं … न भव्यं’ (should not be)

• parāśrayanivāsibhiḥ: by those living under others’ shelter
• parāśrayanivāsibhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para-āśraya + nivāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पराश्रये निवासिनः) (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (deduced from the surrounding dialogue in this adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīroda (Kṣīrābdhi) Keśava-ālaya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The group resolves to depart toward Keśava’s abode; the guru’s counsel transforms fear into determined devotion, with a visionary hint of the milky ocean and reclining Viṣṇu.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Kṣīroda (Kṣīrasamudra / Milk Ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Turn from despair to divine refuge; dependence and hardship are met with resolute pilgrimage and faith in Keśava.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṣīroda/Kṣīrasamudra—symbolic sacred geography of Viṣṇu’s cosmic abode, invoked as a supreme refuge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; it sets the intention for going to Keśava’s abode, preparing for later vrata-instruction.