Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

उपायं तन्निगदितमत्र कुर्व न्न्यवर्तिषम् । वर्षत्रयावसाने मामुद्वाहोपायसंयुतम्

Transliteration

upāyaṃ tannigaditamatra kurva nnyavartiṣam | varṣatrayāvasāne māmudvāhopāyasaṃyutam

Translation

“อุบายที่ได้อธิบายไว้ ณ ที่นี้ ข้าพเจ้าได้ปฏิบัติตามและตั้งมั่นอยู่ในนั้น ครั้นครบสามปี ข้าพเจ้าก็ได้พร้อมด้วยหนทางสำหรับพิธีอภิเษกนั้น”

Word by Word

• upāyam: means, method
• upāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• nigaditam: stated, told
• nigaditam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-gad (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (उपायम्) विशेषण

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशार्थक-अव्यय (here)

• kurvan: doing, carrying out
• kurvan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे

• nyavartiṣam: I returned, I came back
• nyavartiṣam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• varṣa-traya-avasāne: at the end of three years
• varṣa-traya-avasāne: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक) + avasāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वर्षत्रयस्य अवसाने), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• udvāha-upāya-saṃyutam: endowed with the means for marriage
• udvāha-upāya-saṃyutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udvāha (प्रातिपदिक) + upāya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (प्रातिपदिक; √yuj + kta)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उद्वाहस्य उपायेन संयुतम्/उद्वाहोपायैः संयुतम्), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (माम्) विशेषण

Speaker

Kakṣīvān (within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agastya-tīrtha (continued)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kakṣīvān’s father (within story) / sages (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A time-lapse-like depiction: Kakṣīvān residing near the tīrtha for three years, performing daily rites; seasons change; finally he attains the ‘upāya’ for marriage—symbolized by auspicious items or a blessing from a sage/deity.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya-tīrtha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual and dharmic goals mature through sustained effort; tīrtha-associated practice is portrayed as producing siddhi over time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting continues at Āgastya-tīrtha, though the verse emphasizes the practice rather than the geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A specific rite is not named; it references an “upāya” undertaken over three years, functioning like a prolonged observance.