Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा चतुर्वक्त्रः सह सर्वैर्दिवालयैः । जगाम त्रिदिवं सोऽपि कैलासं शशिशेखरः

Transliteration

evamuktvā caturvaktraḥ saha sarvairdivālayaiḥ | jagāma tridivaṃ so'pi kailāsaṃ śaśiśekharaḥ

Translation

فلما قال ذلك، انطلق براهما ذو الوجوه الأربعة مع جميع أهل السماء إلى السَّوَرْغا؛ وذاك الربّ المتوَّج بالقمر (شِڤا) مضى أيضًا إلى كايلاسا.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having said’

• चतुर्-वक्त्रः: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्-वक्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य चत्वारि वक्त्राणि सः’ (one who has four faces)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (with); तृतीया-सम्बन्धी

• सर्वैः: with all
• सर्वैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन (Plural)

• दिवालयैः: with the celestial abodes (heavenly beings/hosts)
• दिवालयैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diva-ālaya (प्रातिपदिक; दिव + आलय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन (Plural)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• त्रिदिवम्: to heaven (the threefold heaven)
• त्रिदिवम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + diva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (also/even)

• कैलासम्: to Kailāsa
• कैलासम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kailāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• शशि-शेखरः: the moon-crested one (Śiva)
• शशि-शेखरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaśin + śekhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य शशिः शेखरः सः’ (he whose crest is the moon)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa lineage within Māhātmya narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (four-faced) surrounded by devas ascending to Svarga; Śiva, moon-crested, departing toward Kailāsa—cloud chariots, celestial banners, and a lingering glow over the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śiva
• Kailāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After establishing the sacred teaching, the gods return to their abodes—signaling divine sanction of the tīrtha and its worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate setting is a praised tīrtha of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa; Kailāsa is referenced as Śiva’s divine abode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed here; it concludes a divine pronouncement and transition in the narrative.