Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

निसर्गाज्जतिचापल्याच्चिरकालं पुनःपुनः । अथ प्रभात आयाता जनाः पूजाकृते कपिम्

Transliteration

nisargājjaticāpalyāccirakālaṃ punaḥpunaḥ | atha prabhāta āyātā janāḥ pūjākṛte kapim

Translation

Wegen meiner angeborenen, affenhaft ruhelosen Natur tat ich es immer wieder, lange Zeit. Dann, bei Tagesanbruch, kamen die Leute zur Verehrung und sahen den Affen.

Word by Word

• निसर्गात्: from (natural) disposition
• निसर्गात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (cause)

• जाति-चापल्यात्: from the fickleness of (my) birth/nature
• जाति-चापल्यात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक) + चापल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (चापल्य), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जात्याः चापल्यम्)

• चिरकालम्: for a long time
• चिरकालम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिरकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; काल-परिमाणे (extent of time)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पुनः: again and again
• पुनः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-बलार्थम् (repetition for emphasis)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• प्रभाते: at dawn
• प्रभाते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; काले (time)

• आयाताः: having come/arrived
• आयाताः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘आगताः’ इत्यर्थः

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पूजा-कृते: for the purpose of worship
• पूजा-कृते: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त ‘कृत’ (done/made); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अर्थे ‘पूजार्थम्’ (for worship)

• कपिम्: the monkey
• कपिम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Gṛdhra (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Śiva temple at pre-dawn: a monkey repeatedly clambers onto a decorated swing set for the deity; at sunrise devotees enter with lamps and flowers and notice the monkey on the swing.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva Liṅga (contextual)
• Worshippers (janāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Habitual impulses can lead to consequences, yet in a sacred setting even such actions become woven into the larger economy of karma and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the Jagadyogeśvara Śiva shrine during a festival observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Morning worship (pūjā) at the shrine, following the night’s festival activity.