Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तत्र द्रुतं गत्वा त्वमाराधय शंकरम् । येन गच्छसि निर्वाणं दशभिः पुरुषैः सह

Transliteration

tasmāttatra drutaṃ gatvā tvamārādhaya śaṃkaram | yena gacchasi nirvāṇaṃ daśabhiḥ puruṣaiḥ saha

Translation

Darum geh rasch dorthin und verehre Śaṅkara (Śiva) in Andacht; dadurch wirst du die Befreiung (mokṣa/nirvāṇa) erlangen, zusammen mit zehn Männern.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Reason/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Riti (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: quickly)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: having gone)

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

• आराधय: worship/propitiate
• आराधय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√राध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana/Hetu (Means/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• गच्छसि: you go/attain
• गच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• निर्वाणम्: liberation (nirvāṇa)
• निर्वाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• दशभिः: with ten
• दशभिः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (पुं/नपुं), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘पुरुषैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पुरुषैः: men/persons
• पुरुषैः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (indeclinable postposition: with)

Speaker

Unnamed adviser within the narrative (a dharma-upadeśa voice preceding Sūta’s ‘uvāca’ in the next verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama (unnamed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dynamic departure scene: the instructed pilgrim sets out quickly with a small group of ten companions toward a Śiva shrine; the final vision hints at liberation—light beyond the temple doorway or ascent toward a luminous realm.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and sincere Śiva-ārādhana at a sanctified site are presented as a direct means to liberation, benefitting even one’s associates.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction “go there” refers to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra in Ānarta, praised just before.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (devotional propitiation/worship) of Śaṅkara undertaken after going to the tīrtha.