Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अथोत्तीर्य विमानाग्र्यात्स्कंधलग्नो रघूद्वह । एकस्य देवदूतस्य सलिलांतमुपागतः

Transliteration

athottīrya vimānāgryātskaṃdhalagno raghūdvaha | ekasya devadūtasya salilāṃtamupāgataḥ

Translation

ನಂತರ, ಓ ರಘೂದ್ವಹ, ಅವನು ಆ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ವಿಮಾನದಿಂದ ಇಳಿದು, ಒಬ್ಬ ದೇವದೂತನ ಭುಜವನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದುಕೊಂಡು, ನೀರಿನ ಅಂಚಿಗೆ ಬಂದನು.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (discourse particle: then)

• उत्तीर्य: having crossed/descended (out)
• उत्तीर्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-तॄ (धातु) → उत्तीर्य (क्त्वा/Absolutive)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा), अव्ययभाव (gerund); उपसर्ग: उत्

• विमानाग्र्यात्: from the excellent vimāna
• विमानाग्र्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान + अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (अग्र्यं विमानम् = best of aerial cars)

• स्कन्धलग्नः: clinging to (someone's) shoulder
• स्कन्धलग्नः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्कन्ध + लग्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (स्कन्धे लग्नः = clinging to the shoulder); लग्न = √लग् (धातु) क्त/PPP

• रघूद्वह: O best of the Raghus
• रघूद्वह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु + उद्वह (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रघूणाम् उद्वहः = bearer/best of the Raghus)

• एकस्य: of one
• एकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषण (for देवदूतस्य)

• देवदूतस्य: of a divine messenger
• देवदूतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + दूत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां दूतः)

• सलिलान्तम्: to the water's edge
• सलिलान्तम्: Karma (Goal/object of motion/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल + अन्त (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सलिलस्य अन्तः = water's edge)

• उपागतः: came, approached
• उपागतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-गम् (धातु) → उपागत (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: उप+आ; कर्तरि-भाव (having come)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Raghūd-vaha (best of Raghus)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The celestial party descends; the youthful figure, holding onto a divine messenger’s shoulder, steps down toward the shimmering waterline at the ghat, while the vimāna hovers above.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Rāma
• Devadūta (divine messenger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha becomes a threshold where divine agents (devadūtas) guide events, suggesting that sacred places operate under higher cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The taḍāga near Agastya’s āśrama; the action moves explicitly to the salila-anta (water’s edge) of this holy site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; the narrative prepares for a consequential act at the water.