Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

त्वं गोप्ता त्वं विधाता च लोकसंहारकारकः । कृपां कुरु महादेव देहदानं प्रयच्छ मे

Transliteration

tvaṃ goptā tvaṃ vidhātā ca lokasaṃhārakārakaḥ | kṛpāṃ kuru mahādeva dehadānaṃ prayaccha me

Translation

Du bist der Beschützer; Du bist der Ordner; und Du bist der Vollstrecker der Auflösung der Welt. Erweise Gnade, o Mahādeva—gewähre mir die Gabe eines Leibes (stelle meine verkörperte Gestalt wieder her).

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे संबोधन/प्रत्ययः; पुल्लिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-निर्देशातीत (common), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गोप्ता: protector
• गोप्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विधाता: ordainer/creator
• विधाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• लोकसंहारकारकः: agent of the destruction of the worlds
• लोकसंहारकारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + संहार + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुषार्थः: 'लोकस्य संहारस्य कारकः'

• कृपाम्: compassion
• कृपाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुरु: do/show
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः: 'महान् देवः'

• देहदानम्: gift of a body
• देहदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'देहस्य दानम्'

• प्रयच्छ: grant/bestow
• प्रयच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन (Singular) (enclitic)

Speaker

Kāma (addressing Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāma, humbled, petitions Śiva for a body; Śiva appears vast—one hand in protection (abhaya), another suggesting dissolution/creation, with Pārvatī witnessing the plea.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahādeva
• Kāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace restores what austerity or karma has dissolved; the Lord governs protection, order, and dissolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in the verse; it functions as a boon-request within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the key act is supplication and seeking Śiva’s anugraha (favor).