Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

ततः स सुचिरं ध्यात्वा गर्तातीर्थसमुद्भवान् । आकार्योपमन्युवंशस्य संभवान्वेदपारगान्

Transliteration

tataḥ sa suciraṃ dhyātvā gartātīrthasamudbhavān | ākāryopamanyuvaṃśasya saṃbhavānvedapāragān

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം അദ്ദേഹം ദീർഘനേരം ധ്യാനിച്ച്, ഗർത്താ-തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ നിന്നു ഉദ്ഭവിച്ച, ഉപമന്യു-വംശജന്മാരായ, വേദപാരംഗതരായ ആ മഹാന്മാരെ വിളിപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• suciram: for a long time
• suciram: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sucira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative: 'for a long time')

• dhyātvā: having meditated
• dhyātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (धातु) + त्वा; dhyātvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having meditated'

• gartā-tīrtha-samudbhavān: those arisen from (the line connected with) Gartā-tīrtha
• gartā-tīrtha-samudbhavān: Karma (Object; those to be summoned)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gartā (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गर्तातीर्थात् समुद्भवाः), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; (आकार्य/आहूय) इत्यर्थे कर्मपद-विशेषण

• ākārya: having summoned/called
• ākārya: Kriya (Causative action, implied)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√kṛ (धातु) + ण्यत्/ल्युट्?; ākārya (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; तुमुनर्थक/प्रयोजनार्थक (intended sense: 'having caused to be called/summoned'); पाठानुसार क्रियाविशेषणवत्

• upamanyu-vaṃśasya: of Upamanyu’s lineage
• upamanyu-vaṃśasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upamanyu (प्रातिपदिक) + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपमन्योः वंशः), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• saṃbhavān: descendants
• saṃbhavān: Karma (Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; 'descendants/originations'

• veda-pāragān: versed in the Vedas
• veda-pāragān: Visheshana (Qualifier of saṃbhavān)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + pāra-ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदस्य पारं गताः), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; पूर्वपदेषु विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gartā-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, after long contemplation, sends messengers to invite Veda-knowing brāhmaṇas of the Upamanyu lineage, associated with the sacred Gartā-tīrtha; the tīrtha landscape—steps, grove, or water-body—appears as their origin-point.

Characters & Entities

• Gartā-tīrtha
• Upamanyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At sacred places, dharma is upheld through qualified Vedic lineages; wise rulers consult learned custodians of tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gartā-tīrtha is explicitly mentioned as the origin-point associated with revered Vedic descendants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse highlights consultation with Veda-knowers associated with the tīrtha.