Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा रोमांचित तनूरुहः । ज्ञात्वा माहेश्वरः कोऽयं चिंतावान्समुपस्थितः

Transliteration

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā romāṃcita tanūruhaḥ | jñātvā māheśvaraḥ ko'yaṃ ciṃtāvānsamupasthitaḥ

Translation

Als er seine Worte hörte, sträubten sich ihm in frommer Ergriffenheit die Haare. Der Asket dachte nach: „Wer ist dieser Verehrer Maheśvaras?“ — und trat, in Gedanken versunken, näher.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वचनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• वचनम्: speech; words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive) — ‘having heard’

• रोमांचिततनूरुहः: whose body-hairs were bristling (thrilled)
• रोमांचिततनूरुहः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोमाञ्चित + तनूरुह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (रोमाञ्चिताः तनूरुहाः यस्य = whose body-hairs are thrilled/standing on end)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त — ‘having known/realized’

• माहेश्वरः: the devotee/servant of Maheśvara (Śiva)
• माहेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चिंतावान्: thoughtful; anxious
• चिंतावान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्ता + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective)

• समुपस्थितः: approached; came near
• समुपस्थितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उप + √स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘having approached/being present’

Speaker

Narrator (third-person description within the chapter)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic’s skin shows goosebumps; he pauses mid-step, eyes widening with compassionate wonder, then moves closer to the young seeker as if drawn by an unseen current of devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere longing for liberation and devotion to Śiva moves the wise; spiritual emotion accompanies authentic receptivity to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is part of a broader tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it transitions into instruction on worship.