Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन त्यक्त्वाऽन्या निखिलाः क्रियाः । रक्तशृंगस्य सांनिध्यं सेवनीयं विचक्षणैः

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | tasmātsarvaprayatnena tyaktvā'nyā nikhilāḥ kriyāḥ | raktaśṛṃgasya sāṃnidhyaṃ sevanīyaṃ vicakṣaṇaiḥ

Translation

Sūta said: Therefore, with every effort—abandoning all other activities—the wise should resort to and attend upon the sacred presence of Raktaśṛṅga.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival: “therefore/from that”)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वः प्रयत्नः)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); “having abandoned”

• अन्याः: other
• अन्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (क्रियाः इति)

• निखिलाः: all, entire
• निखिलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• क्रियाः: ritual acts
• क्रियाः: Karma (Object understood with tyaktvā/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• रक्तशृंगस्य: of Raktaśṛṅga
• रक्तशृंगस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + शृंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (रक्तं शृंगं यस्य) / नामरूपेण

• सांनिध्यम्: proximity, presence
• सांनिध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांनिध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सेवनीयम्: should be resorted to
• सेवनीयम्: Kriya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (सांनिध्यम्)

• विचक्षणैः: by the discerning
• विचक्षणैः: Karana/Agent (By the wise/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raktaśṛṅga

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya audience implied by Sūta-narration convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta addressing sages in a forest hermitage, gesturing toward a distant red-peaked mountain (Raktaśṛṅga). Pilgrims with staffs and waterpots turn away from worldly tasks and begin the ascent/approach, emphasizing ‘sānnidhya-sevā’.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Raktaśṛṅga (sacred place/peak/tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed devotion to a sacred tīrtha is praised over scattered pursuits; proximity to holy places is itself a purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Raktaśṛṅga—presented as a sacred presence to be visited and served.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical prescription: prioritize pilgrimage/attendance (sevanā) to Raktaśṛṅga by setting aside other engagements.