Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

ततः स्वर्गं परित्यज्य सर्वदेवगणैः सह । जगाम शरणं विष्णोः श्वेतद्वीपं प्रतिश्रयम्

Transliteration

tataḥ svargaṃ parityajya sarvadevagaṇaiḥ saha | jagāma śaraṇaṃ viṣṇoḥ śvetadvīpaṃ pratiśrayam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ സ്വർഗ്ഗം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച്, എല്ലാ ദേവഗണങ്ങളോടും കൂടി, വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ ശരണം തേടി ശ്വേതദ്വീപം എന്ന പവിത്ര ആശ്രയസ്ഥാനത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = thereafter

• svargam: heaven
• svargam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः/त्यागे कर्म = heaven (object of leaving)

• parityajya: having abandoned
• parityajya: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pari-√tyaj (त्यज् धातु) → parityajya (कृदन्त-क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund) = having abandoned/after leaving

• sarva-deva-gaṇaiḥ: with all the hosts of gods
• sarva-deva-gaṇaiḥ: Sahakari (Accompaniment सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां देवानां गणैः) = with the hosts of all gods

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakari (Accompaniment)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सह-प्रयोगः) = with/together with

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद = went

• śaraṇam: refuge
• śaraṇam: Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म = refuge

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध = of Viṣṇu

• śveta-dvīpam: Śvetadvīpa
• śveta-dvīpam: Karma (Destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्वेतः द्वीपः) = Śvetadvīpa (the White Island)

• pratiśrayam: (as) a shelter/abode
• pratiśrayam: Karma (Destination/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratiśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म = abode/shelter

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta in Nāgara Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śvetadvīpa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial procession leaving Svarga: Indra and devas travel together toward a radiant, immaculate realm—Śvetadvīpa—suggesting purity, stillness, and sanctuary.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Viṣṇu
• Śvetadvīpa
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the gods abandon pride in power and seek the highest refuge—Viṣṇu—when dharma is threatened.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śvetadvīpa is praised as Viṣṇu’s sanctuary—an exalted sacred realm/abode within Purāṇic sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated here; the act emphasized is śaraṇāgati—taking refuge in the Lord.