Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

यदा त्वं पृथिवीपाल स्वर्गं यास्यसि भूतलात् । तदात्र सलिले स्थाप्या मदग्रे यद्व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

yadā tvaṃ pṛthivīpāla svargaṃ yāsyasi bhūtalāt | tadātra salile sthāpyā madagre yadvyavasthitam

Translation

Ô protecteur de la terre, lorsque tu quitteras ce monde pour le ciel, alors ce qui a été disposé ici devant moi devra être déposé dans l’eau, en ce lieu même.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction: 'when')

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (common), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पृथिवीपाल: O king (protector of the earth)
• पृथिवीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• यास्यसि: you will go
• यास्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• भूतलात्: from the earth
• भूतलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

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

• सलिले: in the water
• सलिले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• स्थाप्या: should be placed
• स्थाप्या: Kriya (Injunctive/vidhi sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/passive necessity), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘स्थापनीया’ (to be placed)

• मत्-अग्रे: before me
• मत्-अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; ‘मदग्रे’ इति सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular) — ‘मम अग्रे’ (in front of me)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karta (Subject of participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• व्यवस्थितम्: is arranged/placed
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘स्थितम्/नियतं’ (placed/arranged)

Speaker

Śrī Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king addressed as ‘protector of earth’ receives a solemn instruction: at the destined time of departing to heaven, the arranged sacred object(s) are to be placed into the tīrtha-water at that very spot, with witnesses nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī
• Pṛthivīpāla (King)
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic safeguards are to be preserved beyond one’s lifetime through properly transmitted and ritually placed arrangements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A local sacred spot ‘here’ is implied (atra), but the verse itself does not name the tīrtha; it functions within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A jala-sthāpanā (placing/immersing in water) instruction is given for what was established before the Goddess, to be done upon the king’s departure.