Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । दधीचिर्नाम विप्रोऽस्ति तपः परममा स्थितः । द्विगुणं च तथा दीर्घः सरस्वत्यां कृताश्रमः

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | dadhīcirnāma vipro'sti tapaḥ paramamā sthitaḥ | dviguṇaṃ ca tathā dīrghaḥ sarasvatyāṃ kṛtāśramaḥ

Translation

വിഷ്ണു പറഞ്ഞു—ദധീചി എന്നൊരു ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ഉണ്ട്; അവൻ പരമ തപസ്സിൽ സ്ഥാപിതൻ. അവൻ അസാധാരണമായി ദീർഘദേഹിയാകുന്നു; സരസ്വതീ തീരത്ത് ആശ്രമം സ്ഥാപിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്।

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दधीचिः: Dadhichi
• दधीचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः (indeclinable, ‘by name’)

• विप्रः: a brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; दधीचिः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण-भावे

• अस्ति: there is / exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘स्थितः’ इत्यनेन सह (तपः स्थितः = तपसि/तपः-परः)

• परमम्: supreme; highest
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तपः इति विशेषण

• स्थितः: abiding; established
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि-भावः

• द्विगुणम्: twofold; double
• द्विगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—द्वौ गुणौ यस्य/द्विगुणम् (twofold)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तथा-शब्दः (adverb, ‘thus/also’)

• दीर्घः: tall; long
• दीर्घः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; दधीचिः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• सरस्वत्याम्: on/at the (river) Sarasvati
• सरस्वत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कृताश्रमः: having established a hermitage
• कृताश्रमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कृतः आश्रमः येन/यत्र (one who has made/established an āśrama)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī-tīra (Dadhīci-āśrama)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (implied from prior verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu identifies Dadhīci: a towering brāhmaṇa-sage, established in supreme austerity, dwelling in a hermitage on the Sarasvatī.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Dadhīci
• Sarasvatī (river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme tapas (austerity) and life rooted in a tīrtha (sacred river) prepare a sage for world-protecting sacrifice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī river-region is indicated as the ascetic setting (āśrama) associated with Dadhīci.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse establishes the sage’s tapas and sacred residence.