Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

गन्तव्यं च ततोऽस्माभिः क्षीरोदे केशवालये । मैवं दीनैस्तथा भाव्यं पराश्रयनिवासिभिः

Transliteration

gantavyaṃ ca tato'smābhiḥ kṣīrode keśavālaye | maivaṃ dīnaistathā bhāvyaṃ parāśrayanivāsibhiḥ

Translation

Sesudah itu kita harus pergi ke Kṣīroda, kediaman suci Keśava. Mereka yang tinggal bergantung pada naungan orang lain jangan tenggelam dalam keputusasaan demikian.

Word by Word

• gantavyam: must be gone (we must go)
• gantavyam: Kriyā (Obligation/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + tavya (तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligation); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (it must be gone)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: and)

• tataḥ: from there, then
• tataḥ: Apādāna (Source/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (from there/thereafter)

• asmābhiḥ: by us / we
• asmābhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (Instrumental plural: by us)

• kṣīrode: in the Milk Ocean
• kṣīrode: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣīra + uda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (क्षीरस्य उदः/उदधिः) (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• keśavālaye: in Keśava’s abode
• keśavālaye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (केशवस्य आलये) (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात (prohibitive particle: do not)

• evaṃ: thus
• evaṃ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus)

• dīnaiḥ: by the dejected/poor (ones)
• dīnaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• tathā: so
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/अनुरूपवाचक (adverb: so, in that way)

• bhāvyam: should be done/should be (behaved)
• bhāvyam: Kriyā (Obligation/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु) + yat (यत्/य)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/necessity); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘एवं … न भव्यं’ (should not be)

• parāśrayanivāsibhiḥ: by those living under others’ shelter
• parāśrayanivāsibhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para-āśraya + nivāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पराश्रये निवासिनः) (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (deduced from the surrounding dialogue in this adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīroda (Kṣīrābdhi) Keśava-ālaya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The group resolves to depart toward Keśava’s abode; the guru’s counsel transforms fear into determined devotion, with a visionary hint of the milky ocean and reclining Viṣṇu.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Kṣīroda (Kṣīrasamudra / Milk Ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Turn from despair to divine refuge; dependence and hardship are met with resolute pilgrimage and faith in Keśava.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṣīroda/Kṣīrasamudra—symbolic sacred geography of Viṣṇu’s cosmic abode, invoked as a supreme refuge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; it sets the intention for going to Keśava’s abode, preparing for later vrata-instruction.