Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्दृष्टे फलं किं स्यात्पूजिते च वदस्व नः

Transliteration

tasmindṛṣṭe phalaṃ kiṃ syātpūjite ca vadasva naḥ

Translation

সেই দেবের কেবল দর্শনে কী ফল হয়, আর পূজা করলে কী ফল লাভ হয়—আমাদের বলুন।

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in/with regard to that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृष्टे: upon being seen
• दृष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute): ‘when (it is) seen’

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पूजिते: upon being worshipped
• पूजिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + पूजित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); सति-सप्तमी: ‘when (it is) worshipped’

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

• वदस्व: tell (us)
• वदस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• नः: to us / our
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति-एकवचन (Gen./Dat. enclitic), ‘our/to us’

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages lean forward, palms joined, asking specifically for the fruits of seeing and worshipping Kapāleśvara; the narrator is poised to answer.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography (tīrtha) is approached through darśana and pūjā, and each yields distinct spiritual merit (phala).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding verses indicate the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and the deity known as Kāpāleśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks about the results of darśana (seeing) and pūjā (worship), setting up later instructions on dāna.