Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यस्मिन्वटिकया पूर्वं तपस्तप्तं द्विजोत्तमाः । प्राप्ता पुत्रं शुके याते वनं व्यासात्कपिंजलम्

Transliteration

yasminvaṭikayā pūrvaṃ tapastaptaṃ dvijottamāḥ | prāptā putraṃ śuke yāte vanaṃ vyāsātkapiṃjalam

Translation

ณ วาฏิกานั้น ในกาลก่อน เหล่าทวิชผู้ประเสริฐได้บำเพ็ญตบะและได้บุตร; ครั้นเมื่อศุกะไปสู่ป่าแล้ว กปิญชละก็มายังที่นั้นจากท่านวยาสะ

Word by Word

• यस्मिन्: in which (place)
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• वटिकया: by/with (the lady) Vaṭikā
• वटिकया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वटिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन/सहचर्ये (instrumental: by/with Vaṭikā)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (Temporal adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: formerly/before)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तपः-आचरणं (object of ‘taptam’)

• तप्तम्: performed (was done)
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तपः’ इत्यस्य सह क्रियाविशेषणवत् (pasticiple: performed)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (उत्तमाः द्विजाः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• प्राप्ताः: obtained
• प्राप्ताः: Kriya (Participial predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), भूतकृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; मुख्यवाक्ये विधेयवत् (having obtained)

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• शुके: when Śuka
• शुके: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; काल/अधिकरणे (locative absolute with ‘याते’)

• याते: had gone
• याते: Kriya (Locative absolute/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; शुके इति सह सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute: having gone)

• वनम्: to the forest
• वनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• व्यासात्: from Vyāsa
• व्यासात्: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (source)

• कपिञ्जलम्: Kapiñjala (name)
• कपिञ्जलम्: Karma (Object/apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिञ्जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; पुत्रम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन (name of the son)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāṭikā associated with Vāṭikeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense sacred grove (vāṭikā) with ascetic brāhmaṇas performing tapas; a liṅga shrine under a banyan; a narrative inset shows Śuka departing to the forest while Kapiñjala arrives from Vyāsa, linking the place to sage-tradition.

Characters & Entities

• Vaṭikā
• Dvijottamāḥ
• Śuka
• Vyāsa
• Kapiñjala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity performed in a sanctified place is depicted as especially potent, yielding both worldly boons (progeny) and sacred narrative continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vaṭikā associated with Vāṭikeśvara in the ongoing sacred-region description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as the efficacious practice performed at the Vaṭikā.