Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तत्र नंदिप्रभृतयो गणाः शूलभृतः पुरः । गृहद्वारे ह्युपा वृत्य तस्थुः संयतचेतसः

Transliteration

tatra naṃdiprabhṛtayo gaṇāḥ śūlabhṛtaḥ puraḥ | gṛhadvāre hyupā vṛtya tasthuḥ saṃyatacetasaḥ

Translation

Dort standen, mit dem Dreizackträger (Śiva) an der Spitze, die Gaṇas—angeführt von Nandin—am Eingang der Wohnstatt versammelt, den Geist gezügelt und voller Ehrfurcht.

Word by Word

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

• नन्दिप्रभृतयः: beginning with Nandi (and others)
• नन्दिप्रभृतयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अव्ययीभाव-सदृशार्थः: नन्दिः प्रभृतिः येषां ते)

• गणाः: attendant groups
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शूलभृतः: bearing tridents
• शूलभृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + भृत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: शूलं बिभ्रति)

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: in front)

• गृहद्वारे: at the house-door
• गृहद्वारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गृहस्य द्वारम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय-अव्यय (particle)

• उपावृत्य: having approached/come near
• उपावृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• तस्थुः: stood
• तस्थुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• संयतचेतसः: with restrained minds
• संयतचेतसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (संयतं चेतः येषां ते)

Speaker

Narrator (within Brahma–Nārada-saṃvāda context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandarācala (Śiva-darśana threshold scene)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the sanctum doorway on Mandara: Nandin and the gaṇas stand in orderly formation, Śiva (trident-bearing) at the fore or presiding, all poised in solemn stillness as devas approach.

Characters & Entities

• Nandin
• Gaṇas
• Śiva (Śūlabhṛt)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching Śiva’s presence requires inner restraint and reverence; divine proximity is honored through disciplined mind and conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene supports the Mandara/Śiva-darśana movement within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied discipline (saṃyama) and respectful approach to the deity’s abode; no explicit vrata or dāna is stated.