Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

उपायं कंचिदद्यैव उपदेशे व्यवस्थितम् । तरामि येन संसारं प्रसादात्तव सुव्रत

Transliteration

upāyaṃ kaṃcidadyaiva upadeśe vyavasthitam | tarāmi yena saṃsāraṃ prasādāttava suvrata

Translation

Établis dans ton enseignement, dès aujourd’hui, quelque moyen praticable par lequel je puisse traverser le saṃsāra — par ta grâce, ô toi aux vœux nobles.

Word by Word

• उपायम्: a means; method
• उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कंचित्: some (one)
• कंचित्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite ‘some’)

• अद्य: today; now
• अद्य: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (indeed/just)

• उपदेशे: in instruction/teaching
• उपदेशे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितम्: established; set forth
• व्यवस्थितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त — ‘established/settled’ (उपायम् इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• तरामि: I cross over
• तरामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करणवाचक (by which)

• संसारम्: worldly existence
• संसारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रसादात्: from (your) grace
• प्रसादात्: Apādāna/Hetu (Source/Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ/अपादान (from/through grace)

• तव: of you; your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुव्रत: O virtuous one (of good vows)
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-व्रतः = of good vows)

Speaker

Unknown (seeker)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The seeker leans forward in earnest supplication, palms joined, requesting a concrete method ‘today itself’; the ascetic’s calm presence suggests a living bridge across the saṃsāra-ocean.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is sought through timely, practical instruction supported by the guru’s grace and the seeker’s earnestness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for a defined upāya; the specific practice is given in the subsequent instruction (here, not yet stated).