Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तत्प्रभावं सरस्वत्याः स विज्ञाय महीपतिः । श्रद्धया परया युक्तो ध्यायमानः सरस्वतीम्

Transliteration

tatprabhāvaṃ sarasvatyāḥ sa vijñāya mahīpatiḥ | śraddhayā parayā yukto dhyāyamānaḥ sarasvatīm

Translation

Al comprender el gran poder espiritual de Sarasvatī, el rey, colmado de fe suprema, comenzó a meditar en la Diosa Sarasvatī.

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; 'of that'

• प्रभावम्: power, efficacy
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• सरस्वत्याः: of Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Kriya (Subordinate action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); 'having understood/known'

• महीपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• महीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (महीनां पतिः)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• परया: supreme, intense
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (of श्रद्धा)

• युक्तः: endowed (with)
• युक्तः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'endowed/connected'

• ध्यायमानः: meditating
• ध्यायमानः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, आत्मनेपद-भाव); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सरस्वतीम्: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in a māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, now composed, sits on the riverbank in meditation, eyes half-closed, visualizing Sarasvatī’s luminous form; the river glows softly behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Mahīpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual benefit arises when one approaches the deity with deep faith and steady meditation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Sarasvatī-associated tīrtha context within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, centered on sacred riverbank worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditative remembrance) of Sarasvatī, grounded in parā-śraddhā (supreme faith).