Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

त्रैलोक्यव्यापकं रूपं सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभम् । कृत्वा ननर्त्त भगवान्भासुरं स महानगे

Transliteration

trailokyavyāpakaṃ rūpaṃ sūryakoṭisamaprabham | kṛtvā nanartta bhagavānbhāsuraṃ sa mahānage

Translation

Eine Gestalt annehmend, die die drei Welten durchdrang und wie zehn Millionen Sonnen strahlte, tanzte der selige Herr — leuchtend — in jener großen Stadt.

Word by Word

• त्रैलोक्यव्यापकं: pervading the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यव्यापकं: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + व्यापक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (त्रैलोक्यं व्याप्नोति)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभम्: having radiance equal to ten million suns
• सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य + कोटि + सम + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः—सूर्यकोट्या समा प्रभा यस्य

• कृत्वा: having assumed/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive) = 'having made/assuming'

• ननर्त्त: danced
• ननर्त्त: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भासुरम्: splendid, radiant
• भासुरम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भासुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (रूपम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महानगे: in the great city
• महानगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (महच्च तत् नगरम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahānagara-kṣetra (as designated here)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Lord assumes a form filling the three worlds, blazing like countless suns, and performs a divine dance in a great city as devotees and celestials gather.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān (Śiva)
• Trailokya (three worlds)
• Mahānagara (great city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s presence sanctifies space: divine radiance and dance symbolize the restoration of dharma and the awakening of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The line mentions a “great city” (mahānagara) without naming it; the surrounding adhyāya context would specify the tīrtha/city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on darśana of the Lord’s radiant dance.