Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पितामहोऽपि तच्छापाच्चारायणनिवेशने । अवतीर्णो धरापृष्ठे कालेन महता ततः

Transliteration

pitāmaho'pi tacchāpāccārāyaṇaniveśane | avatīrṇo dharāpṛṣṭhe kālena mahatā tataḥ

Translation

ఆ శాపఫలమున పితామహుడు (బ్రహ్మ) కూడా మహాకాలము గడిచిన తరువాత చారాయణ నివేశనమున భూపృష్టమునకు అవతరించాడు।

Word by Word

• पितामहः: grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — particle (also/even)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; विशेषण (शाप-विशेषण)

• शापात्: from the curse
• शापात्: Apādāna (Source/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• चारायणनिवेशने: in Cārāyaṇa’s dwelling/settlement
• चारायणनिवेशने: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चारायण (प्रातिपदिक) + निवेशन्/निवेशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चारायणस्य निवेशने)

• अवतीर्णः: descended
• अवतीर्णः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकृत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धरापृष्ठे: on the surface of the earth
• धरापृष्ठे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धरायाः पृष्ठे)

• कालेन: with time / in course of time
• कालेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means; time as agency)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: great/long
• महता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; विशेषण (काल-विशेषण)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal/sequence modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रमवाचक) — indeclinable of sequence

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa; exact named speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cārāyaṇa-niveśana (as kṣetra marker)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After ages, Brahmā descends to earth at Cārāyaṇa’s settlement—depicted as a luminous arrival over a town/hamlet, with sages and locals witnessing.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Cārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings are shown as subject to dharma’s moral order—curses and karmic results operate impartially.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cārāyaṇa-niveśa is referenced as a named locale, indicating a sacred-geographical setting within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative, establishing the consequence and the place of descent.