Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अथ संचिंतयामास मनसा पांडुनंदनः । अहं नरः स्वयं साक्षात्कृष्णो नारायणः स्वयम्

Transliteration

atha saṃciṃtayāmāsa manasā pāṃḍunaṃdanaḥ | ahaṃ naraḥ svayaṃ sākṣātkṛṣṇo nārāyaṇaḥ svayam

Translation

ତାପରେ ପାଣ୍ଡୁନନ୍ଦନ ମନରେ ଚିନ୍ତା କଲେ—“ମୁଁ ସ୍ୱୟଂ ସାକ୍ଷାତ୍ ନର; ଏବଂ କୃଷ୍ଣ ସ୍ୱୟଂ ନାରାୟଣ।”

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक-निपात (then)

• saṃcintayāmāsa: reflected
• saṃcintayāmāsa: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√cint (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; अर्थे—चिन्तयामास (he reflected/thought)

• manasā: with (his) mind
• manasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• pāṇḍu-nandanaḥ: son of Pāṇḍu (Arjuna)
• pāṇḍu-nandanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇḍu (प्रातिपदिक) + nandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: पाण्डोः नन्दनः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• naraḥ: Nara (the sage/hero)
• naraḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• svayam: myself
• svayam: Sambandha (Emphasis/स्वार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक-निपात (oneself)

• sākṣāt: directly
• sākṣāt: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रत्यक्षार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (directly/in person)

• kṛṣṇaḥ: Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• svayam: myself
• svayam: Sambandha (Emphasis/स्वार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-आत्मार्थक-निपात (oneself; emphatic repetition)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arjuneśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience/inquirer (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Arjuna sits in quiet meditation near the shrine/ghāṭ, eyes lowered, inwardly realizing his identity as Nara and Kṛṣṇa’s as Nārāyaṇa; a subtle visionary overlay shows Kṛṣṇa with divine radiance behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍu-nandana (Arjuna)
• Nara
• Kṛṣṇa
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places awaken divine identity and dharmic purpose: the Nara–Nārāyaṇa unity frames righteous action as service to the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa kṣetra associated with Arjuneśvara and the forthcoming Cakrapāṇi (Viṣṇu) prāsāda narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a contemplative affirmation (manana) that precedes sacred construction and worship.