Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सितवर्णो मधुच्छंदा ऋषिर्ब्रह्मा तु देवता । परमात्मा तु गायत्री नियोगः सर्वकर्मसु

Transliteration

sitavarṇo madhucchaṃdā ṛṣirbrahmā tu devatā | paramātmā tu gāyatrī niyogaḥ sarvakarmasu

Translation

Its color is white; its meter is Madhu; its seer is Brahmā, and Brahmā is its presiding deity. The Supreme Self is its Gāyatrī-form, and its application is in all rites and duties.

Word by Word

• सितवर्णः: white-colored
• सितवर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• मधुच्छन्दाः: Madhu-chandas (name of a seer)
• मधुच्छन्दाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ऋषिनाम (proper name)

• ऋषिः: seer (ṛṣi)
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे (but/indeed)

• देवता: deity
• देवता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• परमात्मा: the Supreme Self
• परमात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī (meter/mantra)
• गायत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• नियोगः: application/assignment (ritual employment)
• नियोगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• सर्वकर्मसु: in all rites/actions
• सर्वकर्मसु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; अधिकरणम् (locative of sphere)

Speaker

Śiva (Deveśa) (deduced as respondent to Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic sacred diagram: white radiance, Brahmā as ṛṣi and devatā marker, the meter ‘Madhu’ indicated as rhythmic pattern, and a central Paramātman-Gāyatrī flame applied to all rites.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Gāyatrī
• Madhu-chandas
• Paramātmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra practice is framed with Vedic parameters (seer, meter, deity), integrating Purāṇic devotion with ritual precision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse provides mantra-lakṣaṇa (technical identifiers) within the ongoing kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It specifies the mantra’s ṛṣi, chandas, devatā, and its niyoga (use) for all karmas.