Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

हिमाचलसमादेशाद्वसिष्ठस्य च सन्मुनेः । देवभूमिं परित्यज्य स गतस्तत्र सत्वरम्

Transliteration

himācalasamādeśādvasiṣṭhasya ca sanmuneḥ | devabhūmiṃ parityajya sa gatastatra satvaram

Translation

ഹിമാചലന്റെ ആജ്ഞയാലും സന്മുനി വസിഷ്ഠന്റെ വചനത്താലും, അവൻ ദേവഭൂമി ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് വേഗത്തിൽ അവിടേക്ക് പോയി।

Word by Word

• हिमाचलसमादेशात्: from the command of Himācala
• हिमाचलसमादेशात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमाचल + समादेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हिमाचलस्य समादेशः)

• वसिष्ठस्य: of Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/Agent-related/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• सन्मुनेः: of the noble sage
• सन्मुनेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सन् मुनिः = श्रेष्ठ-मुनिः)

• देवभूमिम्: the land of the gods
• देवभूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां भूमिः)

• परित्यज्य: having left/abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + त्यज् (धातु) → परित्यज्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having abandoned)

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

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-भावे

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• सत्वरम्: quickly/in haste
• सत्वरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator (contextual voice within the Sūta-led narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himācala, personified as a majestic mountain-king, and sage Vasiṣṭha issue a command; a divine being/agent departs Devabhūmi swiftly toward the destined sacred land, shown as a purposeful journey across realms.

Characters & Entities

• Himācala (Himalaya)
• Vasiṣṭha
• Devabhūmi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obedience to righteous authority (ṛṣis and sacred guardians like Himācala) leads beings toward dharma-aligned action and sacred destinations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The destination is within the chapter’s Nāga-bila/Hāṭakeśvara tīrtha setting, framed as worthy even of those departing Devabhūmi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes movement prompted by sacred command, setting up the tīrtha narrative.