Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

अत्र गाथा पुरा गीता गौतमेन महर्षिणा । गंगायमुनयोस्तं च प्रभावं वीक्ष्य विस्मयात्

Transliteration

atra gāthā purā gītā gautamena maharṣiṇā | gaṃgāyamunayostaṃ ca prabhāvaṃ vīkṣya vismayāt

Translation

ณ ที่นี้กาลก่อน มหาฤๅษีโคตมะได้ขับขานคาถา (คาถาโบราณ) ด้วยความพิศวง เมื่อได้ประจักษ์พลังอันเดียวกันของคงคาและยมุนา

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• गाथा: a verse, gāthā
• गाथा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular feminine

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/once)

• गीता: sung, uttered
• गीता: Karma (Predicate qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गै (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with गाथा

• गौतमेन: by Gautama
• गौतमेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental singular masculine

• महर्षिणा: by the great sage
• महर्षिणा: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental singular masculine

• गङ्गा-यमुनयोः: of (the rivers) Gaṅgā and Yamunā
• गङ्गा-यमुनयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (द्वन्द्वः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन; genitive dual feminine

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun accusative singular masculine

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रभावम्: power, greatness
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular masculine

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√ईक्ष् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) ‘having seen’

• विस्मयात्: out of astonishment
• विस्मयात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; ablative singular masculine (cause)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha with Gaṅgā–Yamunā prabhāva (unnamed in excerpt)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Gautama stands at the luminous waters, hands raised in astonishment and devotion, as the two river powers are symbolically shown—two streams or two goddesses—while disciples listen to the gāthā.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama Maharṣi
• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Gāthā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-glory is validated through ṛṣi-witness and remembered hymns, grounding devotion in revered testimony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā–Yamunā sacred locale whose prabhāva (efficacy) inspired Gautama’s gāthā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse introduces an authoritative gāthā praising the tīrtha’s power.