Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा जपित्वा च कोऽर्थोऽलभ्यो भवेद्भुवि । षष्टिर्वर्षसहस्राणि नीलकण्ठपुरे वसेत्

Transliteration

tatra snātvā japitvā ca ko'rtho'labhyo bhavedbhuvi | ṣaṣṭirvarṣasahasrāṇi nīlakaṇṭhapure vaset

Translation

S’y étant baigné et ayant accompli le japa, quel but désiré resterait inatteignable sur terre ? Un tel homme est tenu pour avoir demeuré à Nīlakaṇṭhapura durant soixante mille ans.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• जपित्वा: having recited (japa)
• जपित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• कः: what? / which?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• अर्थः: object/goal/benefit
• अर्थः: Karta/Pratipadya (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अलभ्यः: unattainable
• अलभ्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + लभ्य (प्रातिपदिक; लभ् धातु से)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (potential/gerundive sense ‘not obtainable’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• षष्टिः: sixty
• षष्टिः: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• वर्षसहस्राणि: thousands of years
• वर्षसहस्राणि: Karma/Measure (Object as measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—वर्षाणां सहस्राणि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• नीलकण्ठपुरे: in Nīlakaṇṭha-pura
• नीलकण्ठपुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीलकण्ठ + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—नीलकण्ठस्य पुरे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• वसेत्: should dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā–Nīlagaṅgā Saṅgama (Oṃkāra-pūrvabhāga)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama (king; contextually Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims emerge from the confluence waters, then sit on the ghāṭa in meditation with rosaries; a subtle vision of Nīlakaṇṭha/Śiva or a celestial city (Nīlakaṇṭhapura) appears as an aura behind them, signifying the equivalence of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Snāna
• Japa
• Nīlakaṇṭhapura
• Tīrtha (saṅgama near Oṃkāra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple, sincere practices—bathing and mantra-recitation—performed at a sanctified site are said to yield extraordinary spiritual and worldly fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The confluence tīrtha near Oṃkāra where Nīlagaṅgā meets the Revā, linked with the merit of Nīlakaṇṭhapura.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and japa (mantra repetition) at the tīrtha.