Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

त्वत्पादपद्मयुगले निश्चला भक्तिरस्तुमे । हरिरुवाच । मयि भक्तिर्दृढा तेऽस्तु निष्कामा गालवाधुना

Transliteration

tvatpādapadmayugale niścalā bhaktirastume | hariruvāca | mayi bhaktirdṛḍhā te'stu niṣkāmā gālavādhunā

Translation

അങ്ങയുടെ പദ്മപാദയുഗളത്തിൽ എന്റെ ഭക്തി അചഞ്ചലമായിരിക്കട്ടെ. ഹരി അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ ഗാലവാ, ഇനി നിനക്കു എന്നിലേക്കു ദൃഢവും നിഷ്കാമവും സ്ഥിരവുമായ ഭക്തി ഉണ്ടാകട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• tvat-pāda-padma-yugale: in the pair of your lotus-feet
• tvat-pāda-padma-yugale: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + padma (प्रातिपदिक) + yugala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः (बहुपद) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'त्वत्पादयोः पद्मयोः युगले' = in the pair of your lotus-feet

• niścalā: steadfast
• niścalā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niścalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying bhakti)

• bhaktiḥ: devotion
• bhaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• astu: may it be
• astu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/विधिलिङ्-आदेशार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• me: for me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग (pronoun), चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदानार्थे (to/for me)

• hariḥ: Hari
• hariḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• mayi: in me
• mayi: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग (pronoun), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (in me)

• bhaktiḥ: devotion
• bhaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• dṛḍhā: firm
• dṛḍhā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛḍhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• te: for you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग (pronoun), चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदानार्थे (to/for you)

• astu: may it be
• astu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• niṣkāmā: desireless
• niṣkāmā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣkāmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (bhakti)

• gālava: O Gālava
• gālava: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gālava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधनम्

• adhunā: now
• adhunā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhunā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Hari (Viṣṇu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gālava prays for steadfast devotion at the Lord’s lotus feet; Hari responds with a boon-like assurance of firm, desireless bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Viṣṇu
• Gālava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest devotion is niṣkāma—steadfast love for God without bargaining for worldly rewards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setukhaṇḍa’s sacred geography forms the background, while this verse establishes the inner qualification—pure devotion—for tīrtha merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cultivation of niścalā (unwavering) and niṣkāmā (desireless) bhakti at the Lord’s feet.