Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवं स भगवांस्तत्र सभार्यो वृषभध्वजः । विद्यते वेदिमध्यस्थो लोकानां पापनाशनः ०

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evaṃ sa bhagavāṃstatra sabhāryo vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ | vidyate vedimadhyastho lokānāṃ pāpanāśanaḥ 0

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇങ്ങനെ ഭഗവാൻ വൃഷഭധ്വജൻ (ശിവൻ) പത്നിയോടുകൂടെ അവിടെ വേദിയുടെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ വിരാജിക്കുന്നു; ജനങ്ങളുടെ പാപങ്ങളെ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सभार्यः: together with (his) wife
• सभार्यः: Karta-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय) + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (भार्यया सह)

• वृषभध्वजः: he whose banner is the bull (Śiva)
• वृषभध्वजः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (वृषभः ध्वजः यस्य)

• विद्यते: is present; exists
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वेदिमध्यस्थः: standing in the middle of the altar
• वेदिमध्यस्थः: Karta-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेदी (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (वेद्याः मध्ये स्थितः)

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• पापनाशनः: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशनः: Karta-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापस्य नाशनः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates to an assembled audience; in a parallel vignette, Śiva-Umā are shown abiding at the center of a raised vedī, with Nandin’s emblem (bull-banner) visible; pilgrims approach seeking purification.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vṛṣabhadhvaja (Śiva)
• Pārvatī (implied)
• Vedī (altar)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse asserts the ongoing, accessible presence of Śiva at the site, making it a reliable refuge for purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Haravedī/vedī-madhya shrine-space where Vṛṣabhadhvaja resides with his consort.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, darśana and worship at the vedī-centered shrine are recommended as sin-destroying.