Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

इमे मत्पादुके दिव्ये गुहामध्यगते सदा । सर्वाभिः सेवनीये च न गन्तव्यं बहिः क्वचित्

Transliteration

ime matpāduke divye guhāmadhyagate sadā | sarvābhiḥ sevanīye ca na gantavyaṃ bahiḥ kvacit

Translation

«هذان نعلانِ الإلهيّان لي يلبثان أبدًا في وسط الكهف. يجب على الجميع تبجيلهما وخدمتهما؛ ولا ينبغي لأحد أن يخرج من هنا إلى أي موضع.»

Word by Word

• इमे: these
• इमे: Anvaya (Deictic/निर्देशक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनार्थे (genitive sense), अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद (my)

• पादुके: two sandals
• पादुके: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादुका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

• दिव्ये: divine
• दिव्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; पादुके-विशेषण

• गुहा: of the cave
• गुहा: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपद

• मध्यगते: situated in the cave’s middle
• मध्यगते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (√गम्; धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; ‘मध्यं गते’ इति (situated in the middle)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• सर्वाभिः: by all (of them)
• सर्वाभिः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘सर्वाभिः (देवताभिः/स्त्रीभिः)’ इत्यर्थे

• सेवनीये: to be served
• सेवनीये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √सेव् (सेव्; धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (अनीयर्/तव्यत्-अर्थक; gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; पादुके-विशेषण; ‘to be served/worshipped’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

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

• गन्तव्यम्: one must go / should go
• गन्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (गम्; धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्; gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘it is to be gone’ (must go)

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

• क्वचित्: anywhere
• क्वचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Ambā (Devī/Mother Goddess)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a dim, sanctified cave: a small pedestal holds radiant divine pādukās; devotees offer lamps and flowers; the cave walls glow with reflected light; the sense is intimate and inward.

Characters & Entities

• Ambā (Devī)
• pādukā (divine sandals)
• guhā (cave)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast devotion at the sacred locus (the cave-shrine) is praised; the pādukā becomes the focal icon of grace and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A cave-centered tīrtha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, marked by the perpetual presence of the Devī’s divine pādukā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous sevā (service/reverence) of the divine pādukā and remaining within the sanctified cave precinct.