Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्दृष्टे निवर्तेत सदसद्रूपजा क्रिया । आत्मानं तेजसां मध्ये चिन्तयेत्सूर्यवर्चसम्

Transliteration

tasmindṛṣṭe nivarteta sadasadrūpajā kriyā | ātmānaṃ tejasāṃ madhye cintayetsūryavarcasam

Translation

Wenn Jenes geschaut wird, fällt das Handeln weg, das aus den Vorstellungen von «Sein und Nichtsein» entsteht. Man soll das Selbst inmitten der Lichter (tejas) betrachten, strahlend im Glanz der Sonne.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (state/thing)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दृष्टे: when (it is) seen
• दृष्टे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सप्तमीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (दृष्ट)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले; लोकेटिव्-अब्सोल्यूट (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)

• निवर्तेत: should cease/turn back
• निवर्तेत: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सदसद्रूपजा: arising from real and unreal forms
• सदसद्रूपजा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + असत् + रूप + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रियायाः विशेषणम्

• क्रिया: activity/action
• क्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आत्मानम्: the Self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तेजसाम्: of lights/splendors
• तेजसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• चिन्तयेत्: should meditate/think of
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सूर्यवर्चसम्: having the radiance of the sun
• सूर्यवर्चसम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य + वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; आत्मानम् इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin beholds ‘That’; surrounding ritual paraphernalia fades into the background; a radiant sun-like aura arises from the heart region, expanding into a field of lights; the scene conveys cessation of action and absorption in inner tejas.

Characters & Entities

• ātman
• sat/asat
• tejas
• sūrya-varcas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True seeing dissolves dualistic compulsions; liberation is portrayed as abiding in the radiant Self.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse presents the inner fruit of tīrtha practice (realization) rather than describing a named geographical tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dhyāna instruction: contemplate the Self as sun-brilliant light, whereby dualistic, restless action subsides.