Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । एवं संस्थाप्य गांगेयः पुण्यं देवचतुष्टयम् । ततः संस्थापयामास गंगां त्रिपथगामिनीम्

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | evaṃ saṃsthāpya gāṃgeyaḥ puṇyaṃ devacatuṣṭayam | tataḥ saṃsthāpayāmāsa gaṃgāṃ tripathagāminīm

Translation

سوت نے کہا: یوں گانگیہ (بھیشم) نے چار دیوتاؤں کے پُنّیہ سمُوہ کو قائم کیا، پھر اس نے تری پَتھ گامنی—جو سُورگ، پرتھوی اور پاتال میں بہتی ہے—گنگا کو بھی پرتِشٹھت کیا۔

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — 'said'

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: 'thus')

• संस्थाप्य: having installed
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थाप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष अव्यय (gerund): 'having established/installed'

• गांगेयः: Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma)
• गांगेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गांगेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular (patronymic/epithet of Bhīṣma: son of Gaṅgā)

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; विशेषण (qualifying देवचतुष्टयम्)

• देवचतुष्टयम्: the group of four deities
• देवचतुष्टयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; समास: देवानां चतुष्टयम् (a set of four deities)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha/Temporal (सम्बन्ध/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: 'then/thereafter')

• संस्थापयामास: installed/established
• संस्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — causative sense: 'he installed/caused to be established'

• गंगाम्: Gaṅgā
• गंगाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• त्रिपथगामिनीम्: the three-pathed (river)
• त्रिपथगामिनीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + पथ + गामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; विशेषण (qualifying गंगाम्); समास: त्रयः पन्थानः यस्याः सा (she who goes in three paths)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Tripathagā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as Bhīṣma performs a solemn installation: four deities already set, then Gaṅgā invoked as Tripathagā; ritual vessels, kalasha, flowing water imagery connecting three realms.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gaṅgeya (Bhīṣma)
• Gaṅgā
• Deva-catuṣṭaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sanctifying a place through deity installation and linking it to Gaṅgā elevates the site into a living tīrtha that carries purifying power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes the establishment of Gaṅgā at the narrated locale in Nāgara Khaṇḍa; the exact site-name is determined by the surrounding passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā: installation of a devacatuṣṭaya (four deities) and the establishment of Gaṅgā as a sacred presence at the site.