Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ततः प्रोवाच तं गत्वा सामपूर्वमिदं वचः । हिमाचलं गिरिश्रेष्ठं सिद्धचारणसेवितम्

Transliteration

tataḥ provāca taṃ gatvā sāmapūrvamidaṃ vacaḥ | himācalaṃ giriśreṣṭhaṃ siddhacāraṇasevitam

Translation

Darauf ging er zu ihm hin und sprach diese Worte, mit beschwichtigendem Ton beginnend: zu Himācala, dem besten der Berge, dem Siddhas und Cāraṇas dienen.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• provāca: said, spoke
• provāca: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriyā (Gerundial subordinate action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having gone)

• sāma-pūrvam: beginning with conciliation (gently)
• sāma-pūrvam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāma + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन (adverbial: with conciliation first)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object of speaking/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• vacaḥ: speech, words
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object of speaking/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (वाक्य/वचनम्)

• himācalam: Himācala (snowy mountain)
• himācalam: Karma (Object addressed/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hima + acala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (हिमः अचलः)

• giri-śreṣṭham: best of mountains
• giri-śreṣṭham: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: giri + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गिरीणां श्रेष्ठः) विशेषणम् (himācala)

• siddha-cāraṇa-sevitam: served by siddhas and cāraṇas
• siddha-cāraṇa-sevitam: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddha + cāraṇa + sevita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < √sev (धातु)
• Form: समासः (सिद्धैः च चारणैः सेवितम्—instrumental sense), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (himācala)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating Indra’s actions; Indra is about to speak)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himācala (as siddha-cāraṇa-sevita tīrtha-mountain)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Himācala (Himālaya personified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra stands before the personified Himācala—majestic, crowned with snow—surrounded by hovering Siddhas and singing Cāraṇas; Indra’s hands in respectful gesture as he begins with conciliatory words.

Characters & Entities

• Himācala
• Siddhas
• Cāraṇas
• Indra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values respectful speech and conciliation; even powerful rulers approach sacred authorities with humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Himācala (the Himalaya) is praised as a sanctified realm, supporting the larger tīrtha narrative tied to Hāṭakeśvara/Nāga-bila.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights dharmic conduct (sāma) in approaching sacred beings/places.