Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अत्रैव त्वं द्विजश्रेष्ठ तिष्ठ दूरेऽपि तेजसः । वैष्णवस्य सुतायुक्तः कल्पांताग्निसमम् व

Transliteration

atraiva tvaṃ dvijaśreṣṭha tiṣṭha dūre'pi tejasaḥ | vaiṣṇavasya sutāyuktaḥ kalpāṃtāgnisamam va

Translation

ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ତୁମେ ଏଠିଏ ରୁହ; ସେଇ ତେଜରୁ ଦୂରେ ରୁହ। ଏହି ବୈଷ୍ଣବ ତେଜ ଶକ୍ତିସହିତ କଳ୍ପାନ୍ତ ଅଗ୍ନି ସମାନ।

Word by Word

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle; emphasis)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), उत्तमपुरुषार्थे मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, प्रथमा (1st case), पुल्लिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-निर्लिङ्ग प्रयोग

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः—षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-सन्निकर्ष), पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन)

• तिष्ठ: stay/stand
• तिष्ठ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दूरे: far away
• दूरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् अव्यय (adverbial use), दूरार्थक क्रियाविशेषण

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle; even/also)

• तेजसः: of (his/its) radiance
• तेजसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case, Genitive), एकवचन

• वैष्णवस्य: of the Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• सुतायुक्तः: accompanied by (his) son
• सुतायुक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त; युज् धातु)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः), युक्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कल्पान्ताग्निसमम्: like the fire at the end of an aeon
• कल्पान्ताग्निसमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्पान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; उपमानवाचक विशेषण

• व: (particle; verse incomplete)
• व: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (enclitic particle; 'indeed/like/and'—here verse appears truncated)

Speaker

Garuḍa (addressing the brāhmaṇa, per immediate narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Janārdana-śayana-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revered brāhmaṇa with his son is cautioned to remain at a safe remove from a blazing Vaiṣṇava radiance, depicted as a contained cosmic fire near a sacred waterscape.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Vaiṣṇava tejas (radiance of Viṣṇu)
• Kalpāntāgni (cosmic dissolution fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approach the sacred with humility and discipline; proximity to intense holiness requires preparedness and reverent restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha of Janārdana’s water-repose, where His radiance is experienced as overwhelming.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical prescription of conduct is given: keep a respectful distance from the divine tejas.