Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तस्यास्तीरे महेशोऽपि कृत्वा रूपं मनोहरम् । कामालयं वाद्यहस्तं कृतपुंड्रं जटाधरम्

Transliteration

tasyāstīre maheśo'pi kṛtvā rūpaṃ manoharam | kāmālayaṃ vādyahastaṃ kṛtapuṃḍraṃ jaṭādharam

Translation

An ihrem Ufer nahm auch Maheśa eine betörende Gestalt an—im Begehren verweilend, ein Musikinstrument in der Hand, mit sektarischem Tilaka gezeichnet und die verfilzten Jaṭā-Locken tragend.

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of her/its
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Singular)

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• महेशः: Mahesha (Śiva)
• महेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• कृत्वा: having made/assumed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया—(having made/assumed)

• रूपम्: a form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• मनोहरम्: charming
• मनोहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); रूपम् इति विशेषणम्

• कामालयम्: abode of desire; lustful
• कामालयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); समासः—कामस्य आलयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• वाद्यहस्तम्: with an instrument in hand
• वाद्यहस्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाद्य + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); समासः—वाद्यं हस्ते यस्य/वाद्येन हस्तः (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः)

• कृतपुण्ड्रम्: wearing the tilaka marks
• कृतपुण्ड्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + पुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); समासः—कृतं पुण्ड्रं यस्य (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष)

• जटाधरम्: bearing matted hair
• जटाधरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जटा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); समासः—जटां धरति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Haratīrtha (bank context)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank, Śiva appears in a charming, desire-inflected (kāmālayaṃ) mood, holding a musical instrument, with sectarian mark and matted locks—an iconographic, performative theophany.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Hara-tīrtha (context)
• river bank (Yamunā context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine may appear in varied forms for līlā, drawing beings toward dharma and establishing the sanctity of place through narrative memory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene occurs at the riverbank associated with the newly proclaimed Hara-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction is given; the verse describes Śiva’s form and setting within the tīrtha’s story.