Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणा प्रार्थितेनेदं स्वयमादिममुत्तमम् । पित्रादिष्टस्तु गांगेयस्तत्र वासमथाकरोत्

Transliteration

brahmaṇā prārthitenedaṃ svayamādimamuttamam | pitrādiṣṭastu gāṃgeyastatra vāsamathākarot

Translation

બ્રહ્માએ પ્રાર્થના કરતાં આ આદ્ય અને ઉત્તમ ક્ષેત્ર સ્વયં પ્રગટ થયું; ત્યારબાદ પિતાની આજ્ઞાથી ગાંગેયે ત્યાં નિવાસ કર્યો।

Word by Word

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे—"by Brahmā"

• prārthitena: having been requested
• prārthitena: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + arth (अर्थ् धातु) + ita (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (brahmaṇā)—"having been requested" / "when (he) requested"

• idam: this
• idam: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विषय/कर्म—"this"

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Prakāra (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्वतन्त्रकर्तृवाचक) adverb "oneself"

• ādimam: primeval/first
• ādimam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (idam)

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (idam)

• pitṛ-ādiṣṭaḥ: instructed by his father
• pitṛ-ādiṣṭaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + ādiṣṭa (ā + diś धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (gāṃgeyaḥ)—"instructed by (his) father"

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/विरोध) particle

• gāṃgeyaḥ: Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma)
• gāṃgeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāṃgeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) adverb of place

• vāsam: dwelling/residence
• vāsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/आरम्भ) sequential particle

• akarot: made/did
• akarot: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā in prayer; from the earth arises a radiant sacred landscape (svayaṃ-manifest kṣetra) with a temple silhouette; Gāṃgeya arrives, guided by a paternal directive, and establishes an āśrama/abode near the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Gāṃgeya (Bhīṣma)
• father of Gāṃgeya (Śantanu, implied)
• Gaṅgā (implied by epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are not merely geographical—they are self-manifesting centers of Dharma, approached through prayer and upheld by exemplary devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The self-manifesting kṣetra of Chapter 75, associated in the narrative with Hāṭakeśvara and the Mahāsena shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; the emphasis is on prārthanā (devotional supplication) and residence/service at the kṣetra.