Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्दृष्टे निवर्तेत सदसद्रूपजा क्रिया । आत्मानं तेजसां मध्ये चिन्तयेत्सूर्यवर्चसम्

Transliteration

tasmindṛṣṭe nivarteta sadasadrūpajā kriyā | ātmānaṃ tejasāṃ madhye cintayetsūryavarcasam

Translation

Quand Cela est contemplé, l’action née des notions d’« être et non-être » s’éteint. Qu’on médite le Soi au milieu des lumières (tejas), rayonnant de la splendeur du soleil.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (state/thing)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दृष्टे: when (it is) seen
• दृष्टे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सप्तमीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (दृष्ट)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले; लोकेटिव्-अब्सोल्यूट (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)

• निवर्तेत: should cease/turn back
• निवर्तेत: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सदसद्रूपजा: arising from real and unreal forms
• सदसद्रूपजा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + असत् + रूप + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रियायाः विशेषणम्

• क्रिया: activity/action
• क्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आत्मानम्: the Self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तेजसाम्: of lights/splendors
• तेजसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• चिन्तयेत्: should meditate/think of
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सूर्यवर्चसम्: having the radiance of the sun
• सूर्यवर्चसम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य + वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; आत्मानम् इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin beholds ‘That’; surrounding ritual paraphernalia fades into the background; a radiant sun-like aura arises from the heart region, expanding into a field of lights; the scene conveys cessation of action and absorption in inner tejas.

Characters & Entities

• ātman
• sat/asat
• tejas
• sūrya-varcas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True seeing dissolves dualistic compulsions; liberation is portrayed as abiding in the radiant Self.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse presents the inner fruit of tīrtha practice (realization) rather than describing a named geographical tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dhyāna instruction: contemplate the Self as sun-brilliant light, whereby dualistic, restless action subsides.