Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

तथैकस्मिन्सुरे दृष्टे सर्वदेवसमुद्भवम् । फलं दर्शनजं भावि नराणां द्विजसत्तम

Transliteration

tathaikasminsure dṛṣṭe sarvadevasamudbhavam | phalaṃ darśanajaṃ bhāvi narāṇāṃ dvijasattama

Translation

وكذلك، يا أفضلَ ذوي الميلادَين، إنْ رأى المرءُ هنا إلهًا واحدًا—وهو أصلُ جميعِ الآلهة—نالَ الناسُ ثمرَ الدَّرْشَنَة (darśana) كأنهم قد رأوا الجميع.

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Nipata/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (thus/likewise)

• एकस्मिन्: in one
• एकस्मिन्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (सुरे)

• सुरे: in a deity
• सुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• दृष्टे: when (he is) seen
• दृष्टे: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Circumstantial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• सर्वदेवसमुद्भवम्: arising from all the gods
• सर्वदेवसमुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of फलम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + देव + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सर्वदेवेभ्यः समुद्भवम्/समुद्भूतम्)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दर्शनजम्: born of seeing
• दर्शनजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of फलम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दर्शन + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (दर्शनात् जातम्)

• भावि: will be/shall occur
• भावि: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/णिनि-प्राय विशेषण (भविष्यत्-अर्थे), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate)

• नराणाम्: of men/people
• नराणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (द्विजेषु सत्तमः)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (deduced from surrounding dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Principal ‘sarva-deva-samudbhava’ deity of the kṣetra (name not specified in verse)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A brāhmaṇa addressed as dvija-sattama (and/or the king in the continuing discourse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single central shrine radiates as the source of all gods; from it emanate subtle forms/symbols of other deities; a devotee receives the ‘all-darśana’ fruit through one focused gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Darśana
• Dvija
• Sarvadeva-samudbhava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic idea of ‘concentrated sacredness’: one supreme focus of worship can confer the merit of many.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-area where a deity described as the ‘source of all gods’ is worshipped/seen.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of the deity (even a single, supremely significant form) as a meritorious act.