Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

एवं स्तुत्वा समादाय तोयं हेमाकृतिं नृप । वासुदेवं हृदि स्थाप्य मंत्रेणानेन कल्पयेत्

Transliteration

evaṃ stutvā samādāya toyaṃ hemākṛtiṃ nṛpa | vāsudevaṃ hṛdi sthāpya maṃtreṇānena kalpayet

Translation

ഹേ നൃപാ! ഇങ്ങനെ സ്തുതിച്ച് ജലം എടുത്ത് സ്വർണ്ണാകൃതി നിർമ്മിക്കണം. തുടർന്ന് ഹൃദയത്തിൽ വാസുദേവനെ സ്ഥാപിച്ച്, ഈ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ വിധി അനുഷ്ഠിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रकारवाचक

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• समादाय: having taken/collected
• समादाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+दा (धातु) + क्त्वा (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हेमाकृतिम्: a golden image/form
• हेमाकृतिम्: Karma (Object/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हेमस्य आकृतिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• वासुदेवम्: Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• स्थाप्य: having placed/installed
• स्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) from causative स्थापयति; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• मन्त्रेण: by/with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; मन्त्रेण-विशेषण

• कल्पयेत्: should arrange/prepare/perform
• कल्पयेत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unknown (narrative instruction within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly patron and priest at a tīrtha prepare ritual water; a small golden icon/form is fashioned; the devotee meditates with hand on chest, indicating Vāsudeva installed in the heart.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual charity becomes spiritually potent when performed with devotion—installing Vāsudeva in the heart and acting with mantra-guided intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya context of Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare the offering with water and a golden representation, meditate on Vāsudeva in the heart, and complete the rite using the stated mantra.