Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

उपायं तन्निगदितमत्र कुर्व न्न्यवर्तिषम् । वर्षत्रयावसाने मामुद्वाहोपायसंयुतम्

Transliteration

upāyaṃ tannigaditamatra kurva nnyavartiṣam | varṣatrayāvasāne māmudvāhopāyasaṃyutam

Translation

«M’étant appliqué ici au moyen qui m’avait été exposé, je demeurai engagé en cela. Au terme de trois années, je me trouvai pourvu du procédé pour ce mariage».

Word by Word

• upāyam: means, method
• upāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• nigaditam: stated, told
• nigaditam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-gad (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (उपायम्) विशेषण

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशार्थक-अव्यय (here)

• kurvan: doing, carrying out
• kurvan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे

• nyavartiṣam: I returned, I came back
• nyavartiṣam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• varṣa-traya-avasāne: at the end of three years
• varṣa-traya-avasāne: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक) + avasāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वर्षत्रयस्य अवसाने), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• udvāha-upāya-saṃyutam: endowed with the means for marriage
• udvāha-upāya-saṃyutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udvāha (प्रातिपदिक) + upāya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (प्रातिपदिक; √yuj + kta)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उद्वाहस्य उपायेन संयुतम्/उद्वाहोपायैः संयुतम्), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (माम्) विशेषण

Speaker

Kakṣīvān (within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agastya-tīrtha (continued)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kakṣīvān’s father (within story) / sages (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A time-lapse-like depiction: Kakṣīvān residing near the tīrtha for three years, performing daily rites; seasons change; finally he attains the ‘upāya’ for marriage—symbolized by auspicious items or a blessing from a sage/deity.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya-tīrtha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual and dharmic goals mature through sustained effort; tīrtha-associated practice is portrayed as producing siddhi over time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting continues at Āgastya-tīrtha, though the verse emphasizes the practice rather than the geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A specific rite is not named; it references an “upāya” undertaken over three years, functioning like a prolonged observance.