Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य स्वयमेव पितामहः । तत्रायातः स्थितो यत्र स पौत्रः सर्परूपधृक्

Transliteration

tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya svayameva pitāmahaḥ | tatrāyātaḥ sthito yatra sa pautraḥ sarparūpadhṛk

Translation

ಅವನ ಮಾತುಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ಸ್ವಯಂ ಪಿತಾಮಹನು ಅಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಬಂದು, ಸರ್ಪರೂಪ ಧರಿಸಿದ ಆ ಮೊಮ್ಮಗ ಇದ್ದ ಸ್ಥಳದಲ್ಲೇ ನಿಂತನು।

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (object of hearing)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (श्रु) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): having heard

• vacanam: speech; words
• vacanam: Karma (Apposition to tat/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वयम्-इत्यव्यय (indeclinable: oneself)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• pitāmahaḥ: grandfather; Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• pitāmahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• āyātaḥ: having come
• āyātaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√yā (या) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: आ; अर्थ: having come

• sthitaḥ: stood; remained
• sthitaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'standing/remaining'

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Relative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• pautraḥ: grandson
• pautraḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pautra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• sarpa-rūpa-dhṛk: bearing a snake-form
• sarpa-rūpa-dhṛk: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhṛk (धृ-धातोः क्विप्/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'holding/bearing the form of a snake'

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, the Grandfather, descends and stands at the exact spot where his grandson remains in serpent form; attendants and sages witness the epiphany at a sacred waterside.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Bhṛgu
• Cyavana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is disturbed, higher providence may intervene to restore order and guide beings toward auspicious destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is narrative; the sacred place is specified shortly afterward as Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra with its holy water.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the arrival of Pitāmaha prepares the revelatory instruction that follows.