Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

यत्रास्ते गालवो नाम सदैव तपसि स्थितः । तस्य भार्या विशालाक्षी सर्वलक्षणलक्षिता

Transliteration

yatrāste gālavo nāma sadaiva tapasi sthitaḥ | tasya bhāryā viśālākṣī sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitā

Translation

അവിടെ ‘ഗാലവൻ’ എന്ന മുനി എപ്പോഴും തപസ്സിൽ സ്ഥിരനായിരുന്നു; അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ഭാര്യ വിശാലാക്ഷി എല്ലാ ശുഭലക്ഷണങ്ങളാലും സമ്പന്നയായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक अव्यय) = indeclinable locative-relative adverb “where”

• āste: dwells/sits
• āste: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ās (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: आस् (to sit/dwell)

• gālavaḥ: Gālava
• gālavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gālava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha/Qualifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = particle indicating “by name/indeed”

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = adverb “always”

• eva: indeed
• eva: Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = emphatic particle “indeed/only”

• tapasi: in austerity/penance
• tapasi: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• sthitaḥ: standing/abiding
• sthitaḥ: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (to gālavaḥ)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• bhāryā: wife
• bhāryā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• viśālākṣī: large-eyed
• viśālākṣī: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśāla + akṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: “viśāle akṣiṇī yasyāḥ” (having large eyes)

• sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitā: endowed with all (auspicious) marks
• sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitā: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + lakṣaṇa + lakṣita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास; कृदन्त: lakṣita (क्त, “marked/endowed”); अर्थ: “sarvaiḥ lakṣaṇaiḥ lakṣitā” (endowed with all auspicious marks)

Speaker

An unnamed narrator (continuing the account) within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munīśvara (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan āśrama: sage Gālava seated in meditation/austerity; beside or nearby, Viśālākṣī, radiant and auspicious, embodying household virtue within a tapas environment.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Viśālākṣī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred place is recognized by the presence of tapas—where sages dwell, dharma becomes tangible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Himalayan sacred setting is implied; the verse spotlights a tapas-centered hermitage locale rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse establishes the characters and the ascetic environment.