Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

उपविष्टो नदीतीरे देवतार्च्चापरा यणः । श्रद्धया परया युक्त एकाकी निर्जने वने

Transliteration

upaviṣṭo nadītīre devatārccāparā yaṇaḥ | śraddhayā parayā yukta ekākī nirjane vane

Translation

Am Ufer des Flusses sitzend, ganz der Verehrung der Gottheiten hingegeben, war er von höchster Glaubenskraft erfüllt—allein in einem einsamen, menschenleeren Wald.

Word by Word

• उपविष्टः: seated
• उपविष्टः: Visheshana (Adjectival to subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'seated'

• नदीतीरे: on the riverbank
• नदीतीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नद्याः तीरम्)

• देवतार्च्चापरायणः: devoted to worship of the deities
• देवतार्च्चापरायणः: Visheshana (Adjectival to subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चा (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (देवतार्चायां परायणः = devoted to worship of deities)

• यणः: Yaṇa (name)
• यणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम/विशेष-प्रातिपदिक (as given in text)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परया: supreme; intense
• परया: Visheshana (Adjectival to 'श्रद्धया'/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; श्रद्धा-विशेषणम्

• युक्तः: endowed (with)
• युक्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival to subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'endowed/connected'

• एकाकी: alone
• एकाकी: Visheshana (Adjectival to subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• निर्जने: deserted
• निर्जने: Visheshana (Adjectival to 'वने'/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वने-विशेषणम्

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Brāhmaṇa Vatsa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devarāta sits cross-legged on the riverbank before a simple worship setup—flowers, water-pot, small fire or lamp—hands in añjali; the forest is empty and quiet, emphasizing solitary devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Nadī-tīra (riverbank)
• Devatā-arcā
• Śraddhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme faith and steady worship, even in solitude, are upheld as the hallmark of true ascetic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred riverbank within the forest setting is emphasized; the text uses such river-locations as tīrtha nodes in the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devatā-arcā (ritual worship) performed with parā-śraddhā (supreme faith) is indicated.