Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्थातव्यं च तथात्रैव उभाभ्यामपि सादरम् । स्वपुरस्य प्ररक्षार्थमेतत्कृत्यं मतं हि नौ

Transliteration

sthātavyaṃ ca tathātraiva ubhābhyāmapi sādaram | svapurasya prarakṣārthametatkṛtyaṃ mataṃ hi nau

Translation

Et que vous demeuriez toutes deux ici même, avec révérence, pour la protection de notre cité; tel est, en vérité, le devoir que nous tenons pour juste.

Word by Word

• स्थातव्यम्: must remain
• स्थातव्यम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate necessity/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थातव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be stayed/should remain’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘thus/also’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• उभाभ्याम्: by both
• उभाभ्याम्: Karana/Agent-in-passive (Instrumental agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, द्विवचन; ‘by both (of you)’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (‘also/even’)

• सादरम्: respectfully
• सादरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स + आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः ‘with respect/eagerly’

• स्वपुरस्य: of (your) own city
• स्वपुरस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वं पुरम्)

• प्ररक्षार्थम्: for protection
• प्ररक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; प्रयोजनवाचक (‘for the purpose of protection’)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘this’ (qualifying कृत्यम्)

• कृत्यम्: duty/task
• कृत्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (duty/what is to be done), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मतम्: is considered
• मतम्: Predicate (Vidheyāṃśa/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘considered/decided’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतुवाचक अव्यय (indeed/for)

• नौ: of us two
• नौ: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, द्विवचन; ‘of us two/for us two’ (contextually genitive)

Speaker

The two supplicants (wives/queens) to the goddesses

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees request the two goddesses to remain at the site; behind them, a stylized city with gates and ramparts appears, suggesting the deity’s protective gaze over the settlement and the kuṇḍa.

Characters & Entities

• Pura (city)
• Mahādevī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not only a place of merit but also a seat of ongoing divine guardianship over communities that honor it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kuṇḍa-tīrtha is presented as a permanent residence suitable for protective Śakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Establishing/retaining the deity’s presence (sthāpanā-like intent) for the city’s protection, implied through the request to ‘remain here’.