Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । इति श्रुत्वा वचो विप्रो वासुदेवस्य बुद्धिमान् । स्वनामपूर्विकां मूर्तिं स्थापयामास चक्रिणः

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | iti śrutvā vaco vipro vāsudevasya buddhimān | svanāmapūrvikāṃ mūrtiṃ sthāpayāmāsa cakriṇaḥ

Translation

Agastya sprach: Als der weise Brahmane diese Worte Vāsudevas vernommen hatte, errichtete er das Bildnis des Diskusträgers und setzte seinen eigenen Namen als Vorsatz davor.

Word by Word

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = Perfect, 3rd person singular

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/इत्यर्थकः) = quotative particle

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त = gerund/absolutive: "having heard"

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular

• विप्रः: the brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative singular

• वासुदेवस्य: of Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन = Masculine, Genitive singular

• बुद्धिमान्: wise
• बुद्धिमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = Masculine, Nominative singular; विशेषणम् (विप्रः)

• स्व: own
• स्व: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रातिपदिक; समासे पूर्वपदत्वेन = possessive adjective "one's own" (in compound)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन = Neuter, Nom/Acc singular (in compound)

• पूर्विकाम्: preceded by
• पूर्विकाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (मूर्तिम्)

• मूर्तिम्: image/form
• मूर्तिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative singular

• स्थापयामास: established
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → स्थापय (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative) = Perfect, 3rd person singular, causative

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधकः) = conjunction

• चक्रिणः: of the discus-bearer
• चक्रिणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन = Masculine, Genitive singular (epithet of Viṣṇu)

Speaker

Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa, having heard Vāsudeva’s instruction, performs the solemn act of installing a discus-bearing Viṣṇu image, ritually naming it with his own name as a prefix; lamps, kalasha, and Vedic recitation surround the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Vāsudeva (Viṣṇu)
• Cakrin (Viṣṇu)
• Viṣṇuśarmā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith becomes enduring through sacred institutions—installing a deity makes devotion accessible to future generations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā, as the locale where the cakra-bearing Lord’s image is ritually established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mūrti-sthāpanā/pratiṣṭhā (ritual installation of the deity).