Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

अथाब्रवीत्स्वयं विष्णुश्चिरं निश्चित्य चेतसा । वधोपायं समालोक्य वृत्रस्य प्रमुदान्वितः

Transliteration

athābravītsvayaṃ viṣṇuściraṃ niścitya cetasā | vadhopāyaṃ samālokya vṛtrasya pramudānvitaḥ

Translation

毗湿奴经过深思熟虑后亲自开口；想到了诛杀弗栗多（Vṛtra）的方法，他心中充满了喜悦。

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/सम्बन्धबोधक (then/now)

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वकृत्यबोधक (oneself/by oneself)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (for a long time)

• निश्चित्य: having decided
• निश्चित्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+चित् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (having ascertained/decided)

• चेतसा: with (his) mind
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वधोपायम्: means of slaying
• वधोपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वधस्य उपायः = means of killing)

• समालोक्य: having considered
• समालोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (having looked/considered)

• वृत्रस्य: of Vṛtra
• वृत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रमुदान्वितः: filled with joy
• प्रमुदान्वितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमुदा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त, √इ/अन्वि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषवत् भावः (प्रमुदया अन्वितः = endowed with joy)

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, serene yet intent, pauses in deep contemplation; the atmosphere shifts as he ‘sees’ the solution to Vṛtra’s slaying and his face brightens with confident joy.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vṛtra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through wise discernment: even divine action proceeds from careful thought and the search for a rightful means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Naimiṣāraṇya-centered tīrtha-māhātmya narration, though it focuses on the divine resolution against Vṛtra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes strategic determination and the identification of an ‘upāya’ (means).