Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तस्या वायव्यदिग्भागे हरवेद्या द्विजोत्तमाः । सम्यक्छ्रद्धाप्रयत्नेन ब्रह्मणा विहितं तपः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tasyā vāyavyadigbhāge haravedyā dvijottamāḥ | samyakchraddhāprayatnena brahmaṇā vihitaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ! ആ ഹരവേദിയുടെ വായവ്യ (വടക്കുപടിഞ്ഞാറ്) ഭാഗത്ത് ബ്രഹ്മാവ് യഥാർത്ഥ ശ്രദ്ധയും പരിശ്രമവുംകൊണ്ട് തപസ് അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചു.

Word by Word

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

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

• तस्याः: of that (place/it)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वायव्यदिग्भागे: in the north-western quarter/part
• वायव्यदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: वायव्यायाः दिशः भागे (in the portion of the north-west direction)

• हरवेद्या: Haravedī (altar/sacred platform of Hara)
• हरवेद्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक) + वेदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: हरस्य वेदी

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, संबोधन/प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: उत्तमाः द्विजाः

• सम्यक्: properly, duly
• सम्यक्: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb)

• श्रद्धाप्रयत्नेन: with faith and effort
• श्रद्धाप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास: श्रद्धा च प्रयत्नश्च (as a combined means)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• विहितम्: ordained, performed
• विहितम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण तपः

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Haravedī (NW quarter as Brahma-tapas-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta points toward the northwest of a sacred precinct labeled Haravedī; Brahmā is shown in meditation there, surrounded by subtle wind-direction motifs (vāyu) and ascetic austerity symbols.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Brahmā
• Haravedī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith (śraddhā) and effort (prayatna) are highlighted as the correct inner basis of tapas at a sacred site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Haravedī, specifically its north-west (vāyavya) sector, is identified as Brahmā’s tapas-location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas should be performed with proper śraddhā and sustained effort; the verse also provides directional guidance for the spot.