Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

गर्भोपनिषदेनैव नीलरुद्रैर्द्विजोत्तमाः । रुद्रशीर्षेण काम्येन विष्णुसूक्तयुतेन चं

Transliteration

garbhopaniṣadenaiva nīlarudrairdvijottamāḥ | rudraśīrṣeṇa kāmyena viṣṇusūktayutena caṃ

Translation

Les meilleurs des deux-fois-nés accomplirent le rite avec la Garbhopaniṣad, les hymnes Nīlarudra, le Rudraśīrṣa désiré, et aussi conjointement avec le Viṣṇu-sūkta.

Word by Word

• गर्भोपनिषदेन: with the Garbhopaniṣad (hymn/text)
• गर्भोपनिषदेन: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + उपनिषद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी) ‘गर्भस्य उपनिषद्’

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध/निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; emphasis

• नीलरुद्रैः: with the Nīlarudra (hymns)
• नीलरुद्रैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः ‘नीलः रुद्रः’ (name of hymn/section)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयार्थः ‘द्विजेषु उत्तमाः’

• रुद्रशीर्षेण: with the Rudraśīrṣa (hymn)
• रुद्रशीर्षेण: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ‘रुद्रस्य शीर्षम्’ (name of hymn)

• काम्येन: desired/optional (kāmya)
• काम्येन: करण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying रुद्रशीर्षेण)

• विष्णुसूक्तयुतेन: accompanied by the Viṣṇu-sūkta
• विष्णुसूक्तयुतेन: करण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + सूक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √युज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ‘विष्णुसूक्तेन युतः’

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अम्: (textual) and
• अम्: सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अम् (अव्यय/पाठभेद)
• Form: पाठे ‘चं’ इति दृश्यते; सम्भाव्यं ‘च’ एव (अनुस्वार/चन्द्रबिन्दु-लेखनदोष) वा अवग्रह-चिह्न; अर्थतः समुच्चय ‘च’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of dvijottamas (ṛtvijas) around a yajña-kuṇḍa, each holding palm-leaf or birch-bark manuscripts; one recites Rudra hymns, another Viṣṇu-sūkta; the atmosphere is luminous with mantra-śakti, suggesting hari-hara concord.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottama (brāhmaṇas)
• Rudra
• Viṣṇu
• Garbhopaniṣad
• Nīlarudra
• Rudraśīrṣa
• Viṣṇusūkta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites at tīrthas are strengthened by disciplined Vedic recitation, honoring both Rudra and Viṣṇu in a harmonized dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (general tīrtha-glorification context); the precise place-name is not stated in this single shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of specific Vedic/Upaniṣadic texts for ritual recitation—Garbhopaniṣad, Nīlarudra, Rudraśīrṣa, and Viṣṇusūkta—implying a formal homa/ceremonial setting.