Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

एवं तयोः प्रवदतोरन्योन्यं भूमिपालयोः । गर्त्तातीर्थात्समायाता ब्राह्मणाः कौतुकान्विताः । श्रुत्वा भूमिपतिं प्राप्तं चिरंतनगुरुं शुभम्

Transliteration

evaṃ tayoḥ pravadatoranyonyaṃ bhūmipālayoḥ | garttātīrthātsamāyātā brāhmaṇāḥ kautukānvitāḥ | śrutvā bhūmipatiṃ prāptaṃ ciraṃtanaguruṃ śubham

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ആ രണ്ടു ഭൂമിപാലന്മാർ പരസ്പരം സംസാരിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കെ, കൗതുകം നിറഞ്ഞ ബ്രാഹ്മണർ ഗർത്ത്താ-തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ നിന്ന് എത്തി. രാജാവ്—ശുഭനായ ചിരന്തന ഗുരു—വന്നുവെന്നു കേട്ട് അവർ അവിടെ ഒന്നിച്ചുകൂടി.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus’)

• तयोः: of the two
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Gen/Loc), द्विवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (of the two)

• प्रवदतोः: (while) speaking
• प्रवदतोः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वद् (धातु) → प्रवदत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—शतृ (Present Active Participle); षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; ‘तयोः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (while the two were speaking)

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually/with each other
• अन्योन्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परस्परार्थे अव्ययीभूत-नपुंसक-द्वितीया (adverbial: ‘mutually’)

• भूमिपालयोः: of the two kings (protectors of the earth)
• भूमिपालयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (भूमेः पालः)

• गर्त्तातीर्थात्: from Garttā-tīrtha
• गर्त्तातीर्थात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्त्ता (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गर्त्तायाः तीर्थम्)

• समायाताः: having come/arrived
• समायाताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (Past Active/PPP in intransitive sense); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कौतुकान्विताः: endowed with curiosity/eagerness
• कौतुकान्विताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (अन्वि+इ → अन्वित); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कौतुकैः अन्विताः)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• भूमिपतिम्: the king
• भूमिपतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (भूमेः पतिः)

• प्राप्तम्: arrived/obtained (i.e., who had arrived)
• प्राप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भूमिपतिम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चिरंतनगुरुम्: the ancient/long-standing teacher
• चिरंतनगुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिरंतन (प्रातिपदिक) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (चिरंतनः गुरुḥ)

• शुभम्: auspicious/noble
• शुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भूमिपतिम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic storyteller within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gartā-tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two kings converse when a group of brāhmaṇas arrives from Gartā-tīrtha, faces bright with curiosity; they converge upon the royal presence, recognizing an ancient venerable teacher among the arrivals or associated with the king’s coming.

Characters & Entities

• Gartā-tīrtha
• brāhmaṇas
• two kings (bhūmipāla)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places draw seekers and teachers together; the tīrtha becomes a meeting-ground for dharma, inquiry, and guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gartā-tīrtha is explicitly mentioned as the source from which the brāhmaṇas arrive.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse describes pilgrimage movement and assembly around a revered figure.