Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सत्यसंधोऽपि तं दृष्ट्वा समाधिस्थं पितामहम् । समाध्यंतं प्रतीक्षन्स उपविष्टः समीपतः

Transliteration

satyasaṃdho'pi taṃ dṛṣṭvā samādhisthaṃ pitāmaham | samādhyaṃtaṃ pratīkṣansa upaviṣṭaḥ samīpataḥ

Translation

Obwohl er seinem Vorhaben treu blieb, wartete er, als er Pitāmaha (Brahmā) in Samādhi versunken sah, das Ende der Versenkung ab und setzte sich in seine Nähe.

Word by Word

• सत्यसन्धः: one true to his vow
• सत्यसन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य-सन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; सन्ध = √सन्ध् (धातु) ‘to join/agree’ से निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सत्ये सन्धः/सत्यसन्धः) — ‘truth-bound/true to his vow’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/समुच्चयार्थक — ‘even/also’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having seen’

• समाधिस्थम्: situated in samādhi
• समाधिस्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाधि-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्थ = √स्था (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (समाधौ स्थितः)

• पितामहम्: the grandsire (Pitāmaha)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• समाध्यन्तम्: entering/engaged in samādhi
• समाध्यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाध्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक; √धा (धातु) से ‘समाधि’ सम्बन्धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; वर्तमानकालिक विशेषणार्थ — ‘entering/engaged in samādhi’

• प्रतीक्षन्: waiting
• प्रतीक्षन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ईक्ष् (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्रति
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/active present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘waiting’

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

• उपविष्टः: sat down
• उपविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त/past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘seated’

• समीपतः: nearby
• समीपतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्यय (ablatival adverb) — ‘nearby/at close range’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king (or noble seeker) arrives and sees Brahmā seated in deep samādhi; the visitor halts, folds hands, and sits quietly nearby, keeping respectful distance in a sacred grove/lotus-lake setting.

Characters & Entities

• pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• samādhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence includes restraint: one should not disturb sacred meditation, even when one’s own duty is urgent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene is in Brahmaloka; no specific earthly pilgrimage site is stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it models proper conduct—waiting silently near a sage/deity in samādhi.