Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

क्रमेण च ततः कुर्यात्पश्चादावाहनादिकम् । आवाह्य सकलं रूपं वैकुण्ठस्थानसंस्थितम्

Transliteration

krameṇa ca tataḥ kuryātpaścādāvāhanādikam | āvāhya sakalaṃ rūpaṃ vaikuṇṭhasthānasaṃsthitam

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ക്രമമായി ആവാഹനാദി അനന്തരകർമ്മങ്ങൾ ചെയ്യണം. വൈകുണ്ഠസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന ഭഗവാന്റെ സമ്പൂർണ്ണ രൂപം ആവാഹനം ചെയ്ത്, തുടർന്ന് പൂജയിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• क्रमेण: gradually; in sequence
• क्रमेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (instrumental used adverbially: 'in order/gradually')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/काल/क्रमवाचक (then/from that)

• कुर्यात्: should do; should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (afterwards)

• आवाहनादिकम्: invocation and related rites
• आवाहनादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवाहन + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः: आवाहनम् आदिः यस्य तत् (ā-vāhana etc.)

• आवाह्य: having invoked
• आवाह्य: Kriyā (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + वह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; 'having invoked'

• सकलम्: entire; complete
• सकलम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'rūpam')

• रूपम्: form; appearance
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वैकुण्ठस्थानसंस्थितम्: situated in the abode of Vaikuṇṭha
• वैकुण्ठस्थानसंस्थितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैकुण्ठ + स्थान + संस्थित (प्रातिपदिक; संस्थित = √स्था-निष्ठा/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः: वैकुण्ठस्य स्थाने संस्थितम् (situated in Vaikuṇṭha-abode)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (deductive attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worshipper stands before an altar, hands in añjali, performing āvāhana; a luminous Viṣṇu form descends symbolically from a celestial Vaikuṇṭha backdrop into the icon/Śālagrāma; attendants prepare offerings in orderly arrangement.

Characters & Entities

• Vaikuṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship is disciplined and sequential: devotion is strengthened by orderly ritual that invites the transcendent Lord into present experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single terrestrial tīrtha is named in this verse; it frames worship as connecting the devotee’s space to Vaikuṇṭha itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform rites in order, beginning with āvāhana (invocation), bringing to mind and invoking the Lord’s complete Vaikuṇṭha form.