Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अस्त्यत्र मेदिनीपृष्ठे सुपुरं वैदिशं महत् । नानासौध समाकीर्णं वरप्राकारशोभितम्

Transliteration

astyatra medinīpṛṣṭhe supuraṃ vaidiśaṃ mahat | nānāsaudha samākīrṇaṃ varaprākāraśobhitam

Translation

此处于大地之上，有一宏伟华美之城，名曰毗底沙（Vaidiśa）；楼阁府第纷然充满，佳垣重郭庄严映饰。

Word by Word

• asti: there is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• medinī-pṛṣṭhe: on the surface of the earth
• medinī-pṛṣṭhe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medinī (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘मेदिन्याः पृष्ठे’

• su-puram: a fine city
• su-puram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘सुन्दरं पुरम्’

• vaidiśam: of Vidiśā / Vaidiśa
• vaidiśam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaidiśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (पुरम्)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (पुरम्)

• nānā-saudha: with various mansions
• nānā-saudha: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nānā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + saudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (समासपदं; ‘नानाविधं सौधम्/सौधानि’ इत्यर्थे); (अत्र) समाकीर्णम् इत्यस्य करण/साधनभावेन

• samākīrṇam: filled/crowded
• samākīrṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + ā + √kṝ (धातु) + kta (क्त) → samākīrṇa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; विशेषण (पुरम्)

• vara-prākāra-śobhitam: adorned with excellent ramparts
• vara-prākāra-śobhitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + prākāra (प्रातिपदिक) + śobhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √śubh + kta)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘वरैः प्राकारैः शोभितम्’ (करण-तत्पुरुषार्थः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Tīrthamāhātmya; likely Sūta relating the Māhātmya to Ṛṣis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaidiśa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic view of Vaidiśa: grand gates, shining ramparts, clustered mansions with terraces, banners, and orderly streets—an auspicious city on the earth’s surface.

Characters & Entities

• Vaidiśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas sanctify geography by narrating the spiritual significance and auspicious qualities of places and their settings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vaidiśa is introduced as the setting for the ensuing tīrtha/deity narrative in Adhyāya 155.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a descriptive prelude establishing the sacred locale.