Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वेदाः सांगाः समाधीता गर्भवासेऽपि तेन च । स्मृतयश्च पुराणानि मोक्षशास्त्राणि कृत्स्नशः

Transliteration

vedāḥ sāṃgāḥ samādhītā garbhavāse'pi tena ca | smṛtayaśca purāṇāni mokṣaśāstrāṇi kṛtsnaśaḥ

Translation

ഗർഭവാസത്തിലുമെല്ലാം അവൻ വേദങ്ങളെ അങ്ങങ്ങളോടുകൂടി സമ്യകമായി അധീതമാക്കി; സ്മൃതികൾ, പുരാണങ്ങൾ, മോക്ഷശാസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ എന്നിവയും പൂർണ്ണമായി കൈവശമാക്കി.

Word by Word

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• साङ्गाः: with their auxiliaries (Vedāṅgas)
• साङ्गाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: येषां अङ्गानि सन्ति/अङ्गैः सह; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘वेदाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• समाधीताः: studied, mastered
• समाधीताः: Kriya (Result state predication/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘वेदाः’ इत्यस्य विधेयविशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• गर्भवासे: in the dwelling in the womb
• गर्भवासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: गर्भे वासः; पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/Addition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also/even)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• स्मृतयः: the Smṛtis
• स्मृतयः: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• पुराणानि: the Purāṇas
• पुराणानि: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मोक्षशास्त्राणि: treatises on liberation
• मोक्षशास्त्राणि: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: मोक्षस्य शास्त्राणि; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कृत्स्नशः: completely, in full
• कृत्स्नशः: Sambandha (Extent/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत्स्नशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समग्रतावाचक (entirely, wholly)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary scene: within the womb, a radiant sage surrounded by hovering palm-leaf manuscripts labeled Veda, Vedāṅga, Smṛti, Purāṇa, Mokṣa-śāstra; a subtle light beam connecting to a cosmic source of knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Veda
• Purāṇa
• Smṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It celebrates the supremacy of śāstra and mokṣa-knowledge, portraying wisdom as the highest wealth that guides one beyond saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly mentioned in this shloka; it reinforces the spiritual authority typical of tīrtha-māhātmya narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the implied discipline is svādhyāya (scriptural study).