Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 407

Devanagari script

सेवितो विष्णुरूपेण ब्रह्ममोक्षप्रदायकः । शृणुष्वावहिता भूत्वा मूर्त्तामूर्ते स्थितिं शुभे

Transliteration

sevito viṣṇurūpeṇa brahmamokṣapradāyakaḥ | śṛṇuṣvāvahitā bhūtvā mūrttāmūrte sthitiṃ śubhe

Translation

Wird Er in der Gestalt Viṣṇus verehrt, gewährt Er Brahman-Erkenntnis und Befreiung. Höre nun aufmerksam, o Gesegneter, die heilige Lehre von Seinem Zustand: zugleich mit Gestalt und jenseits aller Gestalt.

Word by Word

• सेवितः: served / worshipped
• सेवितः: Karta (Predicate adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle (served/worshipped)

• विष्णुरूपेण: in the form of Viṣṇu
• विष्णुरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular; तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः रूपम्)

• ब्रह्ममोक्षप्रदायकः: giver of brahma-liberation
• ब्रह्ममोक्षप्रदायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्ममोक्षं प्रददाति)

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative, 2nd sg; परस्मैपद

• अवहिता: attentive (one)
• अवहिता: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; संबोधनार्थे (addressing listener respectfully)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): having become

• मूर्त्तामूर्ते: in the manifest-and-unmanifest (state)
• मूर्त्तामूर्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अमूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; द्वन्द्व (मूर्तं च अमूर्तं च)

• स्थितिम्: the state / condition
• स्थितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; adjective qualifying (स्थितौ/मूर्त्तामूर्ते)

Speaker

Brahmā (in Brahma–Nārada dialogue; inferred from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: An addressed ‘auspicious one’ (śubhe) within the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-figure instructs a devoted listener at a tīrtha; Viṣṇu appears as a radiant mūrti while an unbounded, formless halo (nirguṇa) expands behind, signifying mūrta–amūrta unity.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• brahma-mokṣa
• mūrta
• amūrta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine can be approached as both form and formless, and devoted worship leads to brahma-mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya framework in Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Service/worship (sevanā) of the deity—specifically in Viṣṇu-rūpa—is recommended as liberation-giving.