Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अनन्तो नाम नागेन्द्रः स्वयंभूतो धरातले । तस्य तीर्थस्य रक्षार्थं विष्णुना सन्नियोजितः

Transliteration

ananto nāma nāgendraḥ svayaṃbhūto dharātale | tasya tīrthasya rakṣārthaṃ viṣṇunā sanniyojitaḥ

Translation

« Il est un roi des nāga nommé Ananta, apparu de lui-même sur la terre. Pour la garde de ce tīrtha, Viṣṇu l’y a établi. »

Word by Word

• anantaḥ: Ananta
• anantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशक-अव्यय

• nāga-indraḥ: king of serpents
• nāga-indraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नागानाम् इन्द्रः = lord of serpents)

• svayaṃbhūtaḥ: self-born
• svayaṃbhūtaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svayam (अव्यय) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—अव्ययीभाव (स्वयम् + भूता = self-born)

• dharā-tale: on the earth’s surface
• dharā-tale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (धरायाः तलम् = on the surface of the earth)

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• tīrthasya: of the tīrtha
• tīrthasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• rakṣā-artham: for protection
• rakṣā-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (रक्षायाः अर्थः = for protection)

• viṣṇunā: by Viṣṇu
• viṣṇunā: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• sanniyojitaḥ: was appointed/assigned
• sanniyojitaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yuj (युज् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (सम् + नि + योजित)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Goṣpada (protected tīrtha)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A self-manifest Ananta Nāgarāja rises or is depicted near the tīrtha—majestic multi-hooded serpent, calm and protective—while a subtle Viṣṇu presence (or emblem) indicates appointment and authority; pilgrims bow before entering the waters.

Characters & Entities

• Ananta (Nāgendra)
• Viṣṇu
• Goṣpada Tīrtha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are protected by divine order; tīrthas are not merely physical sites but safeguarded spiritual centers.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha associated with Goṣpada is indicated as being under Ananta’s protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it establishes the sanctity and guarded status of the tīrtha.