Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तत्र तिष्ठंति नियतं क्षमासत्यादयो गुणाः । विवेकरूपिणः सर्वे तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्

Transliteration

tatra tiṣṭhaṃti niyataṃ kṣamāsatyādayo guṇāḥ | vivekarūpiṇaḥ sarve tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam

Translation

Dort sind, fest gegründet, Tugenden wie Nachsicht und Wahrheit beständig gegenwärtig—alle in der Gestalt der Unterscheidungskraft (viveka). Jener Zustand ist die höchste Wohnstatt Viṣṇus.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तिष्ठन्ति: stand/abide
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• नियतं: constantly, certainly
• नियतं: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तं; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• क्षमा-सत्य-आदयः: forbearance, truth, etc. (as a group)
• क्षमा-सत्य-आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’समासान्त; समाहार/गणवाचक

• गुणाः: qualities
• गुणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• विवेक-रूपिणः: having the form of discernment
• विवेक-रूपिणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवेक (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तद्विष्णोः: of that Viṣṇu
• तद्विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• परमं: supreme
• परमं: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पदम्: abode/state/footing
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam (conceptual tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous inner landscape: personified Kṣamā and Satya stand like guardians at a radiant gateway labeled ‘Viṣṇu-pada’; a calm seeker approaches with a lamp of viveka, while Brahmā’s teaching presence hovers subtly.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kṣamā
• Satya
• Viveka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When discipline matures, virtues like forgiveness and truth become steady discernment, culminating in the highest spiritual state identified with Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No geographic tīrtha is mentioned; the verse glorifies the inner ‘tīrtha’ of virtues leading to Viṣṇu’s parama padam.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cultivate stable virtues (kṣamā, satya, etc.) through niyama so that conduct becomes viveka-centered.