Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

वयं वार्धक्यमापन्ना बाल्यात्प्रभृति शंकरम् । पूजयन्तोऽपि नो दृष्टस्तथाऽपि परमेश्वर

Transliteration

vayaṃ vārdhakyamāpannā bālyātprabhṛti śaṃkaram | pūjayanto'pi no dṛṣṭastathā'pi parameśvara

Translation

„Wir sind ins Alter gekommen, seit der Kindheit verehren wir Śaṅkara; und dennoch, o Parameśvara, haben wir dich nicht erblickt.“

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वार्धक्यम्: old age
• वार्धक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārdhakya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आपन्नाः: have reached
• आपन्नाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√pad (आपद् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); अर्थः—'having reached/attained'

• बाल्यात्: from childhood
• बाल्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रभृति: since
• प्रभृति: Adhikarana (Temporal marker/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prabhṛti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/preposition-like), अर्थः—'since/from (that time)'

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक; देवता-नाम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूजयन्तः: worshipping
• पूजयन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (पूज् धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थः—'even/though'

• नः: of us
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th) / चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th) बहुवचन-रूप (enclitic); अत्र षष्ठी—'of us'

• दृष्टः: (was) seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle, passive sense); पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नकारेण निषेधः—'was not seen' (अध्याहृतः 'न')

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अर्थः—'thus/so'

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अर्थः—'even/also'

• परमेश्वर: O Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parameśvara (प्रातिपदिक; संबोधन)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas/devotees (addressing Śiva; deduced from first-person plural and vocative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Elderly devotees, with grey hair and lined faces, stand with folded hands, confessing that despite lifelong worship they have not seen Śiva; the atmosphere is heavy with yearning.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Parameśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse voices the ache of devotees seeking darśana; it highlights perseverance while warning against despair.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; this line emphasizes darśana rather than naming the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continual pūjā (worship) of Śaṅkara over a lifetime.