Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अथ शक्रं समालोक्य तत्राऽयांतं द्विजोत्तमाः । पूजितं चारणैः सिद्धैस्तैरदृष्टं कदाचन

Transliteration

atha śakraṃ samālokya tatrā'yāṃtaṃ dvijottamāḥ | pūjitaṃ cāraṇaiḥ siddhaistairadṛṣṭaṃ kadācana

Translation

Dann, als sie Śakra dort ankommen sahen—den, den Cāraṇas und Siddhas verehren—wurden die erhabensten der Zweimalgeborenen von Staunen ergriffen, denn niemals zuvor hatten sie ihn gesehen.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/thereupon
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• शक्रम्: Indra (Śakra)
• शक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आलोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; ‘having seen/after seeing’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• आयान्तम्: coming/approaching
• आयान्तम्: Karma (Object-apposition/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+या (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘coming’

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः)

• पूजितम्: worshipped/honoured
• पूजितम्: Karma (Object predicate/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(was) worshipped’ (agreeing with शक्रम्)

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

• आरणैः: by the Cāraṇas (celestial bards)
• आरणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• सिद्धैः: by the Siddhas (perfected beings)
• सिद्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana/Agent (by them/तैः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अदृष्टम्: unseen/not seen
• अदृष्टम्: Karma (Object predicate/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle with negation); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘unseen’ (agreeing with शक्रम्)

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal adverb/काल-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: ever/at any time)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage near a sacred water; Indra (Śakra) arrives in subtle radiance, attended invisibly/visibly by Cāraṇas and Siddhas; brāhmaṇas look on in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Dvijottamas (brāhmaṇas)
• Cāraṇas
• Siddhas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings are to be met with humility and wonder; darśana is framed as a sacred encounter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The āśrama precinct within the Himālaya tīrtha setting where divine visitation occurs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied pūjā/honouring of the guest (arhaṇa), developed explicitly in the following verses.