Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । विष्णुभक्तिर्दृढा कार्या वेदशास्त्रविधानतः । वेदमूलमिदं सर्वं वेदो विष्णुः सनातनः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | viṣṇubhaktirdṛḍhā kāryā vedaśāstravidhānataḥ | vedamūlamidaṃ sarvaṃ vedo viṣṇuḥ sanātanaḥ

Translation

พรหมาตรัสว่า: “พึงทำภักติแด่พระวิษณุให้มั่นคง ตามบทบัญญัติแห่งพระเวทและศาสตรา. สิ่งทั้งปวงนี้มีรากอยู่ที่พระเวท; และพระเวทนั้นเองคือพระวิษณุผู้เป็นนิรันดร์.”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विष्णुभक्तिः: devotion to Viṣṇu
• विष्णुभक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: विष्णोः भक्ति:); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दृढा: firm
• दृढा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (भक्तिः)

• कार्या: should be practiced
• कार्या: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-अर्थे कर्तव्यता (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be done/should be made’

• वेदशास्त्रविधानतः: according to the injunctions of Veda and Śāstra
• वेदशास्त्रविधानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: समास-आधारित अव्यय; ‘वेद-शास्त्र-विधान’ (निर्देश/आधार) + तस्; हेतौ/प्रमाणे (according to)

• वेदमूलम्: rooted in the Veda
• वेदमूलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: वेदस्य मूलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (इदम् सर्वम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (इदम्)

• वेदः: the Veda
• वेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समानााधिकरण (predicate nominative)

• सनातनः: eternal
• सनातनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (विष्णुः/वेदः)

Speaker

Brahmā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā teaches that steadfast Viṣṇu-bhakti must follow Veda and śāstra; the Veda is shown as radiant, merging symbolically with Viṣṇu’s form.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is not arbitrary; it is strengthened when aligned with Vedic-scriptural discipline and reverence for the Veda as divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides doctrinal grounding within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To practice firm Viṣṇu-bhakti in accordance with Veda and śāstra—i.e., regulated worship and conduct.