Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

ततः स विस्मयाविष्टो ज्ञात्वा तीर्थमनुत्तमम् । वासुदेवात्मिकामर्चां तथान्यां कुरुसत्तमः

Transliteration

tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭo jñātvā tīrthamanuttamam | vāsudevātmikāmarcāṃ tathānyāṃ kurusattamaḥ

Translation

Daraufhin erkannte der Beste der Kurus die unvergleichliche Tīrtha-Stätte und geriet in Staunen. Er ließ ein Bildnis errichten, das Vāsudeva verkörpert, und stellte dort auch ein weiteres göttliches Abbild auf.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: काल/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

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

• विस्मयाविष्टः: overcome with wonder
• विस्मयाविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (आ + √विश् धातु → क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘विस्मयेन आविष्टः’ (instrumental relation)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञात्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having known’

• तीर्थम्: holy place, ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• वासुदेवात्मिकाम्: consisting of/embodying Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवात्मिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘वासुदेव-आत्मिका’ (of the nature of Vāsudeva); ‘अर्चाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• अर्चाम्: image, idol (for worship)
• अर्चाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• अन्याम्: another
• अन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘अर्चाम्’ (अनुवृत्त) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• कुरुसत्तमः: the best of the Kurus
• कुरुसत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘कुरूणां सत्तमः’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhīṣma, astonished at the unsurpassed tīrtha, performs installation of a Vāsudeva image and another divine icon, with priests and ritual implements arranged on the riverbank/temple courtyard.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Vāsudeva
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing a tīrtha’s greatness should culminate in dharmic action—establishing worship and sustaining devotion for the benefit of the place and pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

An ‘anuttama tīrtha’ within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (the exact toponym is not stated in this verse excerpt).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā (installation) of an arcā/mūrti for Vāsudeva worship at the tīrtha.