Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

वयं स्थास्यामहे नित्यमत्रैव सुरसत्तम । तपोऽर्थं भावितात्मानो यावन्मोक्षगतिर्ध्रुवा

Transliteration

vayaṃ sthāsyāmahe nityamatraiva surasattama | tapo'rthaṃ bhāvitātmāno yāvanmokṣagatirdhruvā

Translation

“Wahai yang terbaik di antara para dewa, kami akan tinggal di sini senantiasa—diri kami telah dimurnikan demi tapa—hingga tercapai jalan yang pasti menuju mokṣa.”

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्थास्यामहे: we shall stay/stand
• स्थास्यामहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• सुरसत्तम: O best of the gods
• सुरसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणां सत्तमः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्थम्: for the sake (of)
• अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); प्रयोजनार्थे (as purpose)

• भावितात्मानः: having disciplined/purified selves
• भावितात्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित (कृदन्त; भू धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (भावितः आत्मा येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यावत्: until/as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्तार्थक (until/as long as)

• मोक्षगतिः: the path to liberation
• मोक्षगतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मोक्षस्य गतिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ध्रुवा: certain/firm
• ध्रुवा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying मोक्षगतिः)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āśrama-tīrtha (name not specified in given verses)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (addressed as surasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene forest āśrama near a sacred water-source; ascetics with matted hair and bark garments take a collective vow to remain, with a subtle divine presence witnessing their resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Mokṣa
• Tapas
• Āśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady residence in a sanctified place with disciplined tapas is portrayed as a direct support for attaining mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same sacred āśrama-tīrtha where the sages choose to remain permanently in Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vow of sustained tapas and residence (niyama) at the āśrama until liberation is emphasized.