Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

नल उवाच । अत्र स्थेयं त्वया देव सदा सन्निहितेन च । सर्वलोकहितार्थाय रोगनाशाय शंकर

Transliteration

nala uvāca | atra stheyaṃ tvayā deva sadā sannihitena ca | sarvalokahitārthāya roganāśāya śaṃkara

Translation

Nala sprach: „O Gott, o Śaṅkara, bleibe hier, stets gegenwärtig, zum Wohl aller Welten und zur Vernichtung der Krankheiten.“

Word by Word

• नलः: Nala
• नलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: here)

• स्थेयम्: should be stayed (one should remain)
• स्थेयम्: Kriya (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्थातव्यम्’ अर्थे

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग-प्रयोग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time: always)

• सन्निहितेन: being present/near
• सन्निहितेन: Kartr̥ (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सन्निहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नि-धा/धा धातोः)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘सन्निहित’; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘त्वया’ इत्यस्य

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction: and)

• सर्वलोकहितार्थाय: for the welfare-purpose of all worlds/people
• सर्वलोकहितार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक + हित + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; ‘सर्वलोकस्य हितार्थः’); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• रोगनाशाय: for the destruction of disease
• रोगनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; ‘रोगस्य नाशः’); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nala

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Suvimala-kuṇḍa (implied by v.55.10) and adjacent Śiva-prāsāda

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Nala, hands folded, petitions Śaṅkara to remain ever-present at the shrine for the welfare of all worlds and the destruction of diseases.

Characters & Entities

• Nala
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest use of divine favor is lokahita—seeking blessings for the healing and benefit of all, not merely oneself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The place where Śaṅkara is requested to remain permanently—identified in Adhyāya 55 as a healing shrine with a nearby kuṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional request/saṅkalpa establishing the deity’s perpetual sannidhi (abiding presence) at the site.