Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन वीक्षणीयः सदा हि सः । विशेषात्सोमवारेण शाश्वतं श्रेय इच्छता

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena vīkṣaṇīyaḥ sadā hi saḥ | viśeṣātsomavāreṇa śāśvataṃ śreya icchatā

Translation

Darum soll man sich mit aller Anstrengung stets um seine Schau (Darśana) bemühen, besonders am Montag, wenn man das ewige Heil begehrt.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular: ‘therefore/from that’)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: ‘with all effort’)

• वीक्षणीयः: should be seen/visited
• वीक्षणीयः: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vīkṣaṇīya (कृदन्त; √īkṣ ‘ईक्ष्’ + अनीय)
• Form: अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be seen/should be visited)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time: ‘always’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

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

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular used adverbially: ‘especially’)

• सोमवारेण: on Monday
• सोमवारेण: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma-vāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: ‘on/with Monday’)

• शाश्वतम्: eternal
• शाश्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘श्रेयः’)

• श्रेयः: highest good, welfare
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• इच्छता: by one who desires
• इच्छता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: ‘by one desiring’)

Speaker

Sūta (narration continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naleśvara (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee makes determined effort to reach the Śiva shrine, with Monday marked by a crescent-moon motif and special worship; pilgrims queue for darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)
• Somavāra (Monday)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent darśana and devotion—aligned with sacred time like Somavāra—supports the pursuit of lasting spiritual welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śiva abode described in the Naleśvara/Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (vīkṣaṇa) of the deity, with special emphasis on Monday (Somavāra) observance.