Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पश्चिमे वालखिल्यैश्च जपस्नानपरायणैः । तत्राश्चर्यमभूद्यद्वै पूर्वं ब्राह्मण सत्तमाः । आश्रमे चतुरास्यस्य तद्वो वक्ष्यामि सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

paścime vālakhilyaiśca japasnānaparāyaṇaiḥ | tatrāścaryamabhūdyadvai pūrvaṃ brāhmaṇa sattamāḥ | āśrame caturāsyasya tadvo vakṣyāmi sāṃpratam

Translation

ପଶ୍ଚିମ ଦିଗରେ ମନ୍ତ୍ରଜପ ଓ ସ୍ନାନରେ ପରାୟଣ ବାଲଖିଲ୍ୟ ଋଷିମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ, ହେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠମାନେ, ପୂର୍ବକାଳେ ଚତୁରାସ୍ୟ (ବ୍ରହ୍ମା)ଙ୍କ ଆଶ୍ରମରେ ଏକ ଆଶ୍ଚର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଘଟିଥିଲା। ଏବେ ତାହା ମୁଁ ତୁମମାନଙ୍କୁ କହୁଛି।

Word by Word

• paścime: in the western (region)
• paścime: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरणे/Locative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (स्थानवाचकः)

• vālakhilyaiḥ: by/with the Vālakhilyas (sages)
• vālakhilyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālakhilya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• japa-snāna-parāyaṇaiḥ: devoted to japa and bathing
• japa-snāna-parāyaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक) + snāna (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जपस्नाने परायणाः = devoted to recitation and bathing)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• āścaryam: a wonder
• āścaryam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āścarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता/Subject), एकवचनम्

• abhūt: occurred/was
• abhūt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (Aorist/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचकं (relative pronoun)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• pūrvam: formerly/before
• pūrvam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• brāhmaṇa: O brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• sattamāḥ: O best of the good (excellent ones)
• sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat-tama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), बहुवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सन्तः एव उत्तमाः)

• āśrame: in the hermitage
• āśrame: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरणे/Locative), एकवचनम्

• caturāsyasya: of the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• caturāsyasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur-āsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्धे/Genitive), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (चत्वारि आस्यानि यस्य = four-faced, i.e., Brahmā)

• tat: that (matter)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म/Object), एकवचनम्

• vaḥ: to you / for you
• vaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्धे/Genitive) वा चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (सम्प्रदाने/Dative), बहुवचनम्; एन्क्लिटिक-रूपम्

• vakṣyāmi: I will tell
• vakṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• sāṃpratam: now/at present
• sāṃpratam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃprata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: at present/now)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturāsya-āśrama tīrtha (Brahmā’s hermitage) in the western region

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / sages (audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A western sacred grove with a serene hermitage of four-faced Brahmā; Vālakhilya sages perform japa beside a waterbody, preparing the audience for an impending marvel.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vālakhilya sages
• Caturāsya (Brahmā)
• Āśrama (hermitage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent disciplines like japa and snāna, practiced by vow-keeping sages, are portrayed as catalysts for divine or wondrous outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The western sector of the same tīrtha-region, especially Caturāsya (Brahmā)’s āśrama, is highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (mantra repetition) and snāna (ritual bathing) are named as the Vālakhilyas’ primary practices.