Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन महता पंचत्वं समपद्यत । जातो जातिस्मरः सोऽथ दशार्णाधिपतेर्गृहे

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena mahatā paṃcatvaṃ samapadyata | jāto jātismaraḥ so'tha daśārṇādhipatergṛhe

Translation

Nach langer Zeit gelangte er in den Zustand des «pañcatva» (des Todes); darauf wurde er wiedergeboren, als einer, der frühere Geburten erinnert, im Hause des Herrschers von Daśārṇa.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya (Adverbial/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereafter)

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• महता: great, long
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पंचत्वम्: death (state of being five elements)
• पंचत्वम्: Gati/Karma (Result-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• समपद्यत: attained, met with
• समपद्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आपद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जातः: born
• जातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘born’

• जातिस्मरः: one who remembers past births
• जातिस्मरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (one who remembers (his) births)

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

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तर/प्रसङ्गार्थक (then/now)

• दशार्णाधिपतेः: of the lord of Daśārṇa
• दशार्णाधिपतेः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशार्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दशार्णानाम् अधिपतिः)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Time passes; the thief dies, then a new birth occurs in a royal household of Daśārṇa—an infant/young prince with a contemplative gaze suggesting remembrance of former lives.

Characters & Entities

• Daśārṇa
• Daśārṇādhipati (ruler of Daśārṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit accrued through contact with Śaiva dharma can reshape destiny across lives, even elevating one to noble birth with spiritual memory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage glorifies Śiva’s sacred locus and Śivarātri-linked merit; this verse highlights the karmic fruit rather than the site-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it states the result (rebirth as jātismara in a royal household).