Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

प्रोवाच दर्शनं गत्वा पक्षिराजं समाश्रितः । मेघगम्भीरयावाचा बहुदेवगणैर्वृतः

Transliteration

provāca darśanaṃ gatvā pakṣirājaṃ samāśritaḥ | meghagambhīrayāvācā bahudevagaṇairvṛtaḥ

Translation

Nachdem der Herr seine Schau gewährt hatte, sprach er—ruhend auf dem König der Vögel—mit einer Stimme tief wie Donnerwolken, umgeben von vielen Scharen der Götter.

Word by Word

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke forth
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दर्शनम्: a sight/appearance (audience)
• दर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having gone’

• पक्षिराजम्: the king of birds (Garuḍa)
• पक्षिराजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षि + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (‘पक्षिणां राजा’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• समाश्रितः: having taken refuge in / having mounted (Garuḍa)
• समाश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘आश्रितः’ = ‘having resorted to’; विशेषणम् (जनार्दनः)

• मेघगम्भीरया: with a cloud-deep (thunderous)
• मेघगम्भीरया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ + गम्भीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (‘मेघवत् गम्भीरा’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; विशेषणम् (वाचा)

• वाचा: voice/speech
• वाचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• बहुदेवगणैः: with many groups of gods
• बहुदेवगणैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु + देव + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (‘बहवः देवगणाः’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषणम् (जनार्दनः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual purāṇic narrator; unspecified in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu grants darśana, seated upon Garuḍa; devas cluster around in the sky; the Lord’s voice rolls like thunderclouds as he speaks to the king below.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Viṣṇu
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When devotion matures, the Lord grants darśana and instruction, affirming the devotee’s path and purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The divine appearance occurs within the ongoing tīrtha narrative linked to the constructed vāpī in Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse describes darśana and divine speech as the fruit of prior worship and tapas.