Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

नरनारायणौ देवौ तस्याग्रे स्थापितौ ततः । तथा गोवर्धनधरस्तत्र देवः प्रतिष्ठितः

Transliteration

naranārāyaṇau devau tasyāgre sthāpitau tataḥ | tathā govardhanadharastatra devaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ

Translation

പിന്നീട് ആ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ മുൻവശത്ത് നര-നാരായണ ദേവദ്വയത്തെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു; അതുപോലെ ഗോവർധനധരനായ ഭഗവാനും അവിടെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതനായി।

Word by Word

• नरनारायणौ: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नरनारायणौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः (द्वन्द्व): नरश्च नारायणश्च

• देवौ: the two gods
• देवौ: Karta (Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; अप्पोजिशन (to ‘नरनारायणौ’)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (in front)

• स्थापितौ: installed
• स्थापितौ: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापित (क्त-कृदन्त, past passive participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘installed’ (qualifies ‘नरनारायणौ देवौ’)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (sequence): ‘thereupon/then’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुकरणार्थ क्रियाविशेषण: ‘likewise’

• गोवर्धनधरः: Govardhana-bearer (Kṛṣṇa)
• गोवर्धनधरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवर्धन + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘गोवर्धनस्य धरः’ = bearer of Govardhana

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location-adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण: ‘there’

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन (to ‘गोवर्धनधरः’)

• प्रतिष्ठितः: was established
• प्रतिष्ठितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति + स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘established/installed’ (qualifies subject)

Speaker

Narrative voice (context: Sūta in Tīrthamāhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within a temple courtyard, before the main shrine, twin ascetic deities Nara and Nārāyaṇa are installed; nearby stands Kṛṣṇa as Govardhanadhara, poised with the mountain lifted, surrounded by devotees and priests.

Characters & Entities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Govardhanadhara (Kṛṣṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Establishing (pratiṣṭhā) sacred forms with devotion turns a place into a merit-giving tīrtha and supports dharma through worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Narāditya-related tīrtha narrative in Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 60), describing consecrations performed at that sacred spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Deity installation/consecration (sthāpana, pratiṣṭhā) of Nara-Nārāyaṇa and Govardhanadhara.