Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ततः स विनयादाह देवीं शिखरवासिनीम् । यदर्थमंब सृष्टोऽहं तत्कार्यं वद मा चिरम्

Transliteration

tataḥ sa vinayādāha devīṃ śikharavāsinīm | yadarthamaṃba sṛṣṭo'haṃ tatkāryaṃ vada mā ciram

Translation

Dann sprach er demütig zur Göttin, die auf dem Gipfel weilt: „Mutter, zu welchem Zweck bin ich erschaffen? Sage mir meine Aufgabe, ohne Verzug.“

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/अनन्तर-अव्यय (adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; English: Masculine nominative singular pronoun

• विनयात्: from humility, respectfully
• विनयात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; अर्थे—‘विनयेन/विनयात्’ (ablative of cause); English: Ablative singular ‘out of humility’

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; English: Perfect, 3rd person singular, active

• देवीम्: the Goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; English: Feminine accusative singular

• शिखरवासिनीम्: dwelling on the peak
• शिखरवासिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिखर (प्रातिपदिक) + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘शिखरे वसति’ (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष); English: Feminine accusative singular

• यदर्थम्: for what purpose
• यदर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः ‘यस्य अर्थः’ = ‘for which purpose’; English: indeclinable compound (for what purpose)

• अम्ब: O Mother
• अम्ब: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन; English: Vocative singular

• सृष्टः: created
• सृष्टः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; English: PPP, masculine nominative singular ‘created’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; English: Nominative singular pronoun

• तत्कार्यम्: that task
• तत्कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘तत् कार्यम्’ (सर्वनामपूर्वपद); English: Neuter accusative singular

• वद: tell (me)
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; English: Imperative, 2nd person singular

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• चिरम्: for long, long time
• चिरम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverbial accusative)

Speaker

Newly created being (gaṇa/nāgamukha entity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a sacred mountain peak, the newly manifested four-armed being bows with folded hands, addressing the peak-dwelling Goddess enthroned amid rocks, trees, and a radiant aura.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Śikharavāsinī (epithet of Devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True power is guided by humility and service; one should seek one’s rightful duty (kārya) from the divine source.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The epithet “Śikharavāsinī” evokes a peak-residing Devī, but the verse itself does not specify a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a commissioning moment in the narrative.