Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एतेषां मध्यतो यस्तं महायोगिनमीश्वरम् । चरमं देवमीक्षेत भविष्यति स पापकृत्

Transliteration

eteṣāṃ madhyato yastaṃ mahāyoginamīśvaram | caramaṃ devamīkṣeta bhaviṣyati sa pāpakṛt

Translation

Among them, whoever would see that Lord—the great Yogin—last, would become a doer of sin.

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these (people)
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Gen. pl.)

• मध्यतः: from the middle
• मध्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (अपादान/देशवाचक) = indeclinable; ‘मध्यात्’ (from the midst)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masc., Nom. sg.)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Masc., Acc. sg.)

• महā-योगिनम्: the great yogin
• महā-योगिनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + yogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः ‘महान् योगी’ = great yogin; पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Masc., Acc. sg.)

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘तम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (Masc., Acc. sg.)

• चरमम्: last
• चरमम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: carama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘देवम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (Masc., Acc. sg.)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Masc., Acc. sg.)

• ईक्षेत: should see
• ईक्षेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (आज्ञार्थ/सम्भावना) परस्मैपद; प्रथमा-पुरुषः एकवचनम् (Optative, 3rd person sg.)

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्कालः) परस्मैपद; प्रथमा-पुरुषः एकवचनम् (Future, 3rd person sg.)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masc., Nom. sg.)

• पाप-कृत्: a sinner
• पाप-कृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛ (धातु) → kṛt (कृदन्त)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘पापं करोति’ = sinner/evil-doer; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masc., Nom. sg.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudrakoṭi (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn pronouncement hangs over the crowd: whoever ends up seeing the great Yogin last is marked as a sinner—faces turn anxious, the press of bodies intensifies.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahāyogin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Turning darśana into competitive ego is censured; the text frames such attitude as spiritually blameworthy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The warning occurs within the Rudrakoṭi/Camatkārapura tīrtha narrative where Śiva appears as a yogin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is an ethical injunction against ego-driven conduct in a sacred context.