Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

ततः प्रबोध्य तं विप्रं निन्युस्तत्र द्विजोत्तमाः । यत्र विष्णुपदी गंगा स्वयमेव व्यवस्थिता

Transliteration

tataḥ prabodhya taṃ vipraṃ ninyustatra dvijottamāḥ | yatra viṣṇupadī gaṃgā svayameva vyavasthitā

Translation

ನಂತರ ಆ ದ್ವಿಜೋತ್ತಮರು ಆ ವಿಪ್ರನನ್ನು ಎಬ್ಬಿಸಿ, ವಿಷ್ಣುಪದೀ ಗಂಗೆಯು ಸ್ವಯಂ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಿತವಾಗಿರುವ ಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಕರೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋದರು.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रमसूचक) indeclinable adverb

• प्रबोध्य: having awakened
• प्रबोध्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + बुध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having awakened/instructed’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• विप्रम्: the brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• निन्युः: they led
• निन्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) adverb of place

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/यत्-प्रत्यय; स्थानवाचक) relative adverb ‘where’

• विष्णुपदी: Viṣṇupadī
• विष्णुपदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णुपदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गंगा: Gaṅgā
• गंगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: by herself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्वतन्त्रकर्तृवाचक) reflexive adverb

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) emphatic particle

• व्यवस्थिता: is established/situated
• व्यवस्थिता: Kriya/State (अवस्था)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ अर्थे

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas gently rousing a weary pilgrim and leading him along a path to a radiant riverbank where the sacred Gaṅgā stands self-established.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā
• Brāhmaṇa
• Dvijottamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a true tīrtha under the guidance of the righteous is itself a step toward purification and right living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā—the Gaṅgā revered as originating from Viṣṇu’s foot and specially present at this kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied pilgrimage act: being led to the tīrtha in preparation for bathing and ācamana described next.