Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

तव संदर्शनादेव ज्ञातं जन्मत्रयं मया । द्रुतं पूर्वं शुभं कर्म करोमि च यथाऽधुना

Transliteration

tava saṃdarśanādeva jñātaṃ janmatrayaṃ mayā | drutaṃ pūrvaṃ śubhaṃ karma karomi ca yathā'dhunā

Translation

Schon durch deine bloße Gegenwart (darśana) habe ich meine dreifachen Geburten erkannt; und nun vollziehe ich eilends die glückverheißende Tat, die früher zu tun war.

Word by Word

• तव: of you/your
• तव: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• संदर्शनात्: from (your) sight/meeting
• संदर्शनात्: अपादान (Source/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• ज्ञातम्: known/realized
• ज्ञातम्: कर्म/भाव (Known/realized state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे भाव/कर्म-प्रधान

• जन्मत्रयम्: three births
• जन्मत्रयम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical compound), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: कर्ता (Agent/Doer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-रूपेण (adverbial use), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• पूर्वम्: formerly/before
• पूर्वम्: अधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• शुभम्: auspicious/good
• शुभम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• कर्म: deed/action
• कर्म: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• करोमि: I do
• करोमि: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner/comparison)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: अधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Śakra (Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka/ṛṣis (frame typical); immediate addressee is a deva addressed as 'deva'

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, struck with sudden recollection, stands before a radiant deity/august figure at a sacred setting; the devotee’s posture shifts from confusion to resolved action, suggesting karmic clarity and urgency.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Brahmā
• Darśana
• Karma (auspicious rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy encounter (darśana) awakens memory, accountability, and urgency to complete righteous duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha framework is implicit in the chapter, but this verse emphasizes darśana and duty rather than naming the location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An “auspicious rite” is referenced generally; the broader passage ties the issue to Śrāddha-dharma.