Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

किं कृतं भगवानेष देवैरपि स सेव्यते । साक्षी सर्वस्य जगतोऽस्माभिर्नैवोपलक्षितः

Transliteration

kiṃ kṛtaṃ bhagavāneṣa devairapi sa sevyate | sākṣī sarvasya jagato'smābhirnaivopalakṣitaḥ

Translation

ماذا صنعنا؟ إن هذا الربّ المبارك، الذي تخدمه حتى الآلهة، هو شاهد العالم كلّه، ومع ذلك لم نتعرّف عليه قطّ.

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done’ (elliptic with किम्)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संकेतार्थक

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अपि: even / also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; ‘also/even’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सेव्यते: is served / worshipped
• सेव्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense) ‘is served’

• साक्षी: witness
• साक्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वस्य: of all
• सर्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed / at all
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• उपलक्षितः: noticed / recognized
• उपलक्षितः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियापद-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपलक्षित (कृदन्त; उप-लक्ष् धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः ‘was noticed’

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas / sages (collective lament within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas in añjali ask, ‘What have we done?’ before the unrecognized Lord, served by devas; the Lord’s presence is vast, like a silent witness filling the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān (Śiva implied)
• Devas (gods)
• Jagat (world)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine may be present as the inner Witness; spiritual negligence is corrected through repentance and renewed reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on remorse and recognition.