Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

कृतध्यानाः सुरास्तत्र वृक्षाधारे समाश्रिताः । व्रतचर्यां समाश्रित्य प्रचक्रुस्तप उत्तमम्

Transliteration

kṛtadhyānāḥ surāstatra vṛkṣādhāre samāśritāḥ | vratacaryāṃ samāśritya pracakrustapa uttamam

Translation

Là, les dieux, ayant établi la méditation, prirent refuge au pied d’un arbre ; s’attachant à la discipline du vœu, ils entreprirent l’austérité suprême.

Word by Word

• कृत: done, performed
• कृत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: (compound-member; in समास)

• ध्यानाः: meditation
• ध्यानाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (compound-member; in समास)

• कृत-ध्यानाः: having performed meditation
• कृत-ध्यानाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ + क्त) + ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘कृतं ध्यानं येषाम्’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सुराः इति विशेषणम्

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वृक्ष: tree
• वृक्ष: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; (compound-member; in समास)

• आधारे: on the support/base
• आधारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (आधारे)

• वृक्ष-आधारे: at/on the base of the tree
• वृक्ष-आधारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘वृक्षस्य आधारः’); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• समाश्रिताः: having taken refuge, having resorted
• समाश्रिताः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाश्रित (कृदन्त; सम्+आ+√श्रि (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• व्रतचर्याम्: vow-observance, religious discipline
• व्रतचर्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतचर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समाश्रित्य: having resorted to
• समाश्रित्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समाश्रित्य (अव्ययकृदन्त; सम्+आ+√श्रि (धातु) + ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• प्रचक्रुः: they performed, they undertook
• प्रचक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) (प्र + चक्रुः; लिट्-रूप)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तपः इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śūdra (questioner)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas seated in meditation beneath a great sacred tree at a tīrtha, calm faces, hands in japa-mudrā; the landscape suggests sanctity—still air, faint aura around the tree-base.

Characters & Entities

• Suras (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred merit arises from steady meditation joined to vrata-discipline; even the devas exemplify restraint and perseverance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The line indicates a sacred setting (“there”) within the chapter’s tīrtha narrative, but does not identify the site by name in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata-caryā (observance of a vow) combined with dhyāna and tapas, performed in a secluded sacred spot.