Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अथापश्यन्नदीतीरे स तपस्विगणावृतम् । स्वाध्यायनिरतं दांतं विश्वामित्रं तपोनिधिनम्

Transliteration

athāpaśyannadītīre sa tapasvigaṇāvṛtam | svādhyāyanirataṃ dāṃtaṃ viśvāmitraṃ taponidhinam

Translation

Dann sah er am Flussufer Viśvāmitra – eine Schatzkammer der Askese –, umgeben von Scharen von Asketen, diszipliniert und selbstbeherrscht, dem svādhyāya, dem heiligen Studium, hingegeben.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• नदीतीरे: on the riverbank
• नदीतीरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी-तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नदी (स्त्री) + तीर (नपुं); सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); अधिकरण (location)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• तपस्विगणावृतम्: surrounded by groups of ascetics
• तपस्विगणावृतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस्वि-गण-आवृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तपस्वि (ascetic) + गण (group) + आवृत (covered/surrounded); द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण (qualifying viśvāmitram)

• स्वाध्यायनिरतम्: engaged in Vedic study
• स्वाध्यायनिरतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाध्याय-निरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्वाध्याय (self-study/recitation) + निरत (engaged); द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण

• दान्तम्: self-controlled
• दान्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• विश्वामित्रम्: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपोनिधिनम्: a treasure of austerity
• तपोनिधिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्-निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तपस् (austerity) + निधि (treasure); द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग; उपाधि/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in a māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil riverbank with an āśrama: Viśvāmitra seated among disciplined ascetics, palm-leaf manuscripts nearby, students reciting Veda softly; the king/visitor glimpsed approaching from afar.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is sanctified by realized sages—svādhyāya, restraint, and tapas are presented as the pillars of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A riverbank āśrama associated with Viśvāmitra in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse does not name the river/tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice is svādhyāya (scriptural recitation/study), though no formal rite is commanded.