Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सपुत्रः सोऽपि रम्याणि वनान्युपवनानि च । क्रीडाशैलांश्च हर्म्याणि संपश्यन्नागतः सभाम्

Transliteration

saputraḥ so'pi ramyāṇi vanānyupavanāni ca | krīḍāśailāṃśca harmyāṇi saṃpaśyannāgataḥ sabhām

Translation

Auch er, zusammen mit seinem Sohn, schaute die lieblichen Wälder und Gärten, die Lusthügel und die prächtigen Paläste, und gelangte dann in die Versammlungshalle.

Word by Word

• सपुत्रः: with (his) son
• सपुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक; सह + पुत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सह पुत्रः)

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

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

• रम्याणि: beautiful
• रम्याणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• वनानि: forests
• वनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• उपवनानि: groves
• उपवनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• क्रीडाशैलान्: play-mountains / sporting hills
• क्रीडाशैलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडा-शैल (प्रातिपदिक; क्रीडा + शैल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्रीडायाः शैलाः / क्रीडार्थाः शैलाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• हर्म्याणि: mansions/palaces
• हर्म्याणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• सम्पश्यन्: seeing
• सम्पश्यन्: Karta (Agent participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+पश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘seeing’

• आगतः: arrived
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘having come/arrived’

• सभाम्: to the assembly hall
• सभाम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narration continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (typical frame; not stated in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal pilgrim-guest with his young son moves through fragrant forests and manicured gardens, past pleasure-hills and gleaming mansions, finally approaching a grand assembly hall with carved pillars and banners.

Characters & Entities

• Ghaṭotkaca
• Ghaṭotkaca’s son
• Dvārakā (gardens, palaces)
• Sabhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred cities reflect divine order and beauty; seeing them with reverence prepares the mind for darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is implicitly glorified through its auspicious landscape—groves, pleasure grounds, and splendid dwellings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the devotional act is ‘darśana’—reverent viewing of the sacred abode.