Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

पुत्र उवाच । अहमेनं प्रतिष्ठाप्य द्रिजश्रेष्ठ महीतले । सम्यगाराधयिष्यामि किमन्यैर्विबुधैर्मम

Transliteration

putra uvāca | ahamenaṃ pratiṣṭhāpya drijaśreṣṭha mahītale | samyagārādhayiṣyāmi kimanyairvibudhairmama

Translation

Le fils dit : «Ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés, après l’avoir établi ici sur la terre, je l’adorerai selon la juste règle. De quels autres dieux aurais-je besoin ?»

Word by Word

• पुत्रः: the son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masculine)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूतः), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (Perfect, 3rd sg)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nominative singular: I)

• एनम्: him/this one
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद्/इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; एनद्-प्रयोगः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, masculine)

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed/established
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त-अव्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having established’

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (Vocative singular, masculine)

• महीतले: on the surface of the earth
• महीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही-तल (प्रातिपदिक; मही + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Locative singular, neuter)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• आराधयिष्यामि: I will worship/propitiate
• आराधयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः, उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (Simple future, 1st sg)

• किम्: what (need)
• किम्: Karma (Object/predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative: what)

• अन्यैः: with others
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम् (Instrumental plural, masculine)

• विबुधैः: with gods/wise beings
• विबुधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम् (Instrumental plural, masculine)

• मम: for me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचनम् (Genitive singular: of me/my)

Speaker

Putra (the son)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (contextual) audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The son addresses the best of brāhmaṇas: he will install the deity on earth and worship properly, declaring exclusive reliance on this deity over others.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-minded devotion expressed through proper installation and worship is portrayed as spiritually sufficient and powerful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 139); this verse itself does not name the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā (installation/consecration) of the deity on earth, followed by samyak ārādhana (proper worship).