Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

हेम भूमिविभागस्थं वह्निकांतिमृगद्विजम् । तत्र तीरगतानां च मुनीनामूर्ध्वरेतसाम्

Transliteration

hema bhūmivibhāgasthaṃ vahnikāṃtimṛgadvijam | tatra tīragatānāṃ ca munīnāmūrdhvaretasām

Translation

Là, le bosquet reposait sur des étendues de terre dorée ; cerfs et oiseaux y luisaient comme le feu. Et sur la rive se tenaient des munis, ascètes à l’énergie vitale maîtrisée.

Word by Word

• हेम: golden
• हेम: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (golden)

• भूमिविभागस्थम्: situated in a division/tract of land
• भूमिविभागस्थम्: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + विभाग (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः (भूमिविभागे स्थितम् = situated in a region/tract of land)

• वह्निकान्तिमृगद्विजम्: having fire-like radiance, with animals and birds
• वह्निकान्तिमृगद्विजम्: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + कान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वह्निकान्तिः यस्य; मृग-द्विजैः/मृगद्विजैः युक्तम्—here as descriptive: having fire-like radiance and (abounding in) animals and birds)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: there)

• तीरगतानाम्: of those who had gone to the bank
• तीरगतानाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तीरे गताः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• मुनीनाम्: of sages
• मुनीनाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊर्ध्वरेतसाम्: of the celibate (continent) ones
• ऊर्ध्वरेतसाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (ऊर्ध्वं रेतः येषाम् = those whose semen is directed upward; celibate/continent)

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahā-Śaravaṇa (Devanadī-tīra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a luminous, gold-tinged riverbank, deer and birds gleam with a fiery sheen. Along the shore sit austere sages—matted hair, calm faces, seated in meditation—forming a quiet line of hermit presences against reeds and water.

Characters & Entities

• Devanadī (implied bank)
• muni (sages)
• ūrdhvaretas (continent ascetics)
• deer
• birds

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha is validated by tapas: the presence of disciplined sages indicates the site’s power to support dharma and spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Devanadī riverbank region around the Śaravaṇa grove, portrayed as a radiant ascetic landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse praises brahmacarya/continence (ūrdhvaretas) as an ascetic ideal.