Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । एवं संस्थाप्य गांगेयः पुण्यं देवचतुष्टयम् । ततः संस्थापयामास गंगां त्रिपथगामिनीम्

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | evaṃ saṃsthāpya gāṃgeyaḥ puṇyaṃ devacatuṣṭayam | tataḥ saṃsthāpayāmāsa gaṃgāṃ tripathagāminīm

Translation

Sūta sprach: „So, nachdem er die heilige Vierheit der Gottheiten eingesetzt hatte, schritt Gaṅgeya (Bhīṣma) dazu, Gaṅgā zu begründen – den Strom, der auf drei Pfaden fließt (Himmel, Erde und Unterwelt).“

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — 'said'

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: 'thus')

• संस्थाप्य: having installed
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थाप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष अव्यय (gerund): 'having established/installed'

• गांगेयः: Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma)
• गांगेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गांगेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular (patronymic/epithet of Bhīṣma: son of Gaṅgā)

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; विशेषण (qualifying देवचतुष्टयम्)

• देवचतुष्टयम्: the group of four deities
• देवचतुष्टयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; समास: देवानां चतुष्टयम् (a set of four deities)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha/Temporal (सम्बन्ध/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: 'then/thereafter')

• संस्थापयामास: installed/established
• संस्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — causative sense: 'he installed/caused to be established'

• गंगाम्: Gaṅgā
• गंगाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• त्रिपथगामिनीम्: the three-pathed (river)
• त्रिपथगामिनीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + पथ + गामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; विशेषण (qualifying गंगाम्); समास: त्रयः पन्थानः यस्याः सा (she who goes in three paths)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Tripathagā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as Bhīṣma performs a solemn installation: four deities already set, then Gaṅgā invoked as Tripathagā; ritual vessels, kalasha, flowing water imagery connecting three realms.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gaṅgeya (Bhīṣma)
• Gaṅgā
• Deva-catuṣṭaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sanctifying a place through deity installation and linking it to Gaṅgā elevates the site into a living tīrtha that carries purifying power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes the establishment of Gaṅgā at the narrated locale in Nāgara Khaṇḍa; the exact site-name is determined by the surrounding passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā: installation of a devacatuṣṭaya (four deities) and the establishment of Gaṅgā as a sacred presence at the site.