Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । अद्यप्रभृति मद्वाक्यात्त्वया स्थेयमसंशयम् । अत्रार्चायां त्रिलोकेस्मि न्यावत्कीर्तिर्मम स्थिरा

Transliteration

rājovāca | adyaprabhṛti madvākyāttvayā stheyamasaṃśayam | atrārcāyāṃ trilokesmi nyāvatkīrtirmama sthirā

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—ഇന്നുമുതൽ എന്റെ വചനപ്രകാരം നീ സംശയമില്ലാതെ ഇവിടെ തന്നെ വസിക്കണം. ഈ ത്രിലോകത്തിൽ ഈ പുണ്യമായ അർച്ചാ-സ്വരൂപത്തിൽ, എന്റെ കീർത്തി സ്ഥിരമായിരിക്കുന്നതുവരെ ഇവിടെ സ്ഥാപിതനായി ഇരിക്ക.

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• प्रभृति: from (this time) onward
• प्रभृति: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ-सीमावाचक (from... onwards)

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (genitival stem in compound), एकवचन-भाव

• वाक्यात्: from (my) statement/command
• वाक्यात्: Apadana (अपादान/from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण/by)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्थेयम्: should be stayed/remained
• स्थेयम्: Kriya (क्रिया/obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + यत् (कृत्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयार्थ (to be done/should be)

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अर्चायाम्: in the worship/adoration
• अर्चायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/in)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• त्रिलोके: in the three worlds
• त्रिलोके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/in)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः लोकाः)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (until/as long as)

• कीर्तिः: fame
• कीर्तिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• स्थिरा: steady, enduring
• स्थिरा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying कीर्तिः)

Speaker

The King (rājā/bhūpāla)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The goddess (Sarasvatī) / the deity addressed in the icon

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, hands raised in reverence, addresses the goddess’ icon within a sanctum; attendants hold lamps and fly-whisks; the icon is being ritually ‘seated’ (pratiṣṭhita) as the king’s proclamation echoes.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Arcā (icon)
• Tri-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse emphasizes enduring sacred presence through arcā-worship—divinity becomes accessible to the world through consecrated form and sustained devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage is within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha-māhātmya narrative; this verse specifically points to establishing the Goddess’s presence ‘here’ in an icon, implying a local shrine at the chapter’s sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied is arcā-sthāpana/pratiṣṭhā (establishing the deity in an icon) and continued temple-style worship, though procedural details are not given in this verse.