Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच । इत्युक्त्वांतर्दधे देवान्देवो गरुडवाहनः । अयोध्यामागतः क्षिप्रं चकार तप उत्तमम्

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | ityuktvāṃtardadhe devāndevo garuḍavāhanaḥ | ayodhyāmāgataḥ kṣipraṃ cakāra tapa uttamam

Translation

Agastya said: Having spoken thus, the divine Lord, the Rider of Garuḍa, vanished from the sight of the gods. Swiftly reaching Ayodhyā, he performed the supreme austerity.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-भाव (absolutive/gerund)

• अन्तर्दधे: disappeared, hid himself
• अन्तर्दधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु) उपसर्ग: अन्तर्
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• देवः: the god (Lord)
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गरुडवाहनः: (he) whose mount is Garuḍa
• गरुडवाहनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गरुडस्य वाहनः)

• अयोध्याम्: to Ayodhyā
• अयोध्याम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आगतः: having come, arrived
• आगतः: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• चकार: did, performed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः-विशेषण)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A learned interlocutor (vidvān) within the frame narrative (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya narrates: the Garuḍa-riding Lord speaks, then vanishes from the devas’ sight, swiftly reaches Ayodhyā, and begins supreme austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Garuḍavāhana (Viṣṇu)
• Devas
• Ayodhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine action may be subtle and hidden, yet it is purposeful—performed for the protection of dharma and devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is explicitly presented as the place where the Lord performs uttama-tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Uttama-tapas (supreme austerity) is described as the Lord’s chosen practice.