Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कथं तत्र पदं जातं विष्णोरव्यक्तजन्मनः । कथं निवेद्यते तत्र सम्यगात्माऽ यनद्वये

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathaṃ tatra padaṃ jātaṃ viṣṇoravyaktajanmanaḥ | kathaṃ nivedyate tatra samyagātmā' yanadvaye

Translation

رِشیوں نے کہا: جس وِشنو کا جنم اَویَکت ہے، اُس کا ‘قدم کا نشان’ وہاں کیسے پیدا ہوا؟ اور اُترایَن اور دکشنایَن—ان دو اَیَنوں میں—وہاں آتما کو درست طور پر کیسے نذر کیا جائے؟

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• पदम्: a footprint/step/place
• पदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• जातम्: arisen/produced
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (as predicate: 'has arisen')

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अव्यक्तजन्मनः: whose birth is unmanifest
• अव्यक्तजन्मनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास (genitive/determinative: 'of one whose birth is unmanifest'); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (विशेषण of विष्णोः)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• निवेद्यते: is made known/declared
• निवेद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सम्यक्: properly/fully
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• आत्मा: self/soul
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अयनद्वये: in the two ayanas (two courses/paths)
• अयनद्वये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वि (संख्या)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical compound: 'two ayanas'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Viṣṇu-pāda)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (addressed as Sūtaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages questions Sūta about a sacred footprint of Viṣṇu and the proper offering during the two ayanas; the footprint is shown as a luminous pāda-cihna on stone within a tīrtha precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Sages (Ṛṣayaḥ)
• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇupada-tīrtha
• Dakṣiṇāyana
• Uttarāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places invite inquiry: understanding a tirtha’s origin and the right method of worship deepens faith and practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇupada-tīrtha, identified with Viṣṇu’s ‘Footprint/Step’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks about the correct method of ātma-nivedana during both ayanas; details are expected in the subsequent narration.