Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

एवं निश्चित्य मनसा हस्तस्थं कमलं ततः । प्रोवाच सादरं तच्च स्वयं ध्यात्वा पितामहः

Transliteration

evaṃ niścitya manasā hastasthaṃ kamalaṃ tataḥ | provāca sādaraṃ tacca svayaṃ dhyātvā pitāmahaḥ

Translation

Ainsi, ayant arrêté sa résolution en son esprit, Pitāmaha (Brahmā), après avoir médité en lui-même, s’adressa avec révérence au lotus tenu dans sa main.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb ‘thus’)

• निश्चित्य: having decided
• निश्चित्य: Sambandha (Purvakala/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-√चि (धातु) + क्त्वा/ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• मनसा: with (his) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• हस्तस्थम्: situated in (his) hand
• हस्तस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘हस्ते स्थितम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to कमलम्)

• कमलम्: lotus
• कमलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object, contextually ‘held/considered’)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (adverb ‘then/thereupon’)

• प्रोवाच: said/spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सादरम्: respectfully
• सादरम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया-एकवचन (accusative used adverbially)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (refers to ‘speech/that [word]’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वतन्त्रकर्तृवाचक-अव्यय (emphatic ‘himself’)

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Sambandha (Purvakala/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• पितामहः: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

Speaker

Narrator (within the Purāṇic narration) describing Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (via kamala/puṣkara symbol)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-s/assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, after inward meditation, holds a lotus in his hand and addresses it reverently—depicting the moment of sacred authorization, as if the lotus is a living recipient.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Lotus (Padma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is founded through divine resolve (saṅkalpa) and contemplative discernment, not mere chance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara is the implied destination; the lotus becomes the instrument for locating/establishing the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation (dhyāna) is referenced as Brahmā’s inner act preceding the establishment of sacred space.