Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ततोऽष्टौ वसवस्तत्र द्वादशार्कास्तथैव च । एकादशापरे रुद्रा नासत्यौ द्वौ च सुन्दरौ

Transliteration

tato'ṣṭau vasavastatra dvādaśārkāstathaiva ca | ekādaśāpare rudrā nāsatyau dvau ca sundarau

Translation

Alors étaient présents les huit Vasus, les douze Ādityas (Soleils) également, et les onze autres Rudras ; ainsi que les deux beaux Nāsatyas (Aśvins).

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb); अर्थः—अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• aṣṭau: eight
• aṣṭau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• vasavaḥ: the Vasus
• vasavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb); देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• dvādaśa: twelve
• dvādaśa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• arkāḥ: Suns/Ādityas (Arkas)
• arkāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• ekādaśa: eleven
• ekādaśa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekādaśan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• apare: others
• apare: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (others)

• rudrāḥ: Rudras
• rudrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• nāsatyau: the two Nāsatyas (Aśvins)
• nāsatyau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāsatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• dvau: two
• dvau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• sundarau: beautiful
• sundarau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sundara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amareśvara (implied by immediate narrative context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant sacred precinct with a central Śiva-liṅga; around it stand eight Vasus with elemental emblems, twelve Ādityas as solar halos, eleven Rudras with tridents and matted locks, and the twin Aśvins as youthful healers—forming a protective mandala.

Characters & Entities

• Vasus
• Ādityas (Arkas)
• Rudras
• Nāsatyas (Aśvins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is shown by the presence of cosmic deities, implying the site mirrors the divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same sacred locale just identified with Amareśvara, where devas and divine hosts assemble.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse establishes the tīrtha’s authority by listing the devas present there.