Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

मत्स्य वाहनसंयुक्तमन्यतो वृषभांकितम् । एकतः पार्षदैः सेव्यमन्यतः सखिसेवितम्

Transliteration

matsya vāhanasaṃyuktamanyato vṛṣabhāṃkitam | ekataḥ pārṣadaiḥ sevyamanyataḥ sakhisevitam

Translation

ഒരു വശത്ത് മത്സ്യവാഹിനിയോടു സംയുക്തമായ രൂപം, മറ്റെ വശത്ത് വൃഷഭചിഹ്നിതം; ഒരു വശത്ത് പാർഷദർ സേവിക്കുന്നു, മറ്റെ വശത്ത് സഖിമാർ പരിചരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• मत्स्य: fish
• मत्स्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, nominative/accusative, singular)

• वाहन: vehicle, mount
• वाहन: Viśeṣya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• संयुक्तम्: joined, connected
• संयुक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु) → संयुक्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc, sg)

• अन्यतः: on the other side
• अन्यतः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, दिशावाचक/पक्षवाचक (indeclinable, indicating ‘on the other side/elsewhere’)

• वृषभ: bull
• वृषभ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, nominative/accusative, singular)

• अंकितम्: marked, emblazoned
• अंकितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्क् (धातु) → अंकित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc, sg)

• एकतः: on one side
• एकतः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पक्षवाचक (indeclinable, ‘on one side’)

• पार्षदैः: by attendants
• पार्षदैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural)

• सेव्यम्: to be served, worthy of service
• सेव्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेव्यम् (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय; भाव्य/कर्तव्य)
• Form: कर्तव्य/भाव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc, sg)

• अन्यतः: on the other side
• अन्यतः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, दिशावाचक/पक्षवाचक (indeclinable)

• सखि: friend, companion
• सखि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, nominative/accusative, singular)

• सेवितम्: served, attended
• सेवितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेवित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc, sg)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A striking dual-sided form: one side bearing the bull emblem (Śiva), the other associated with a fish-vehicle goddess; attendants (gaṇas) on one flank, female companions on the other—suggesting a composite divine court.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣabha (bull emblem)
• Pārṣada (attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred vision presents divinity as multi-aspected—attended by cosmic hosts—inviting reverence beyond sectarian division.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports the chapter’s tīrtha narrative through descriptive wonder.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; it functions as a descriptive darśana fostering devotion.