Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

सहस्रं वत्सराणां तु रतासक्तस्य शूलिनः । अतिक्रांतं न देवानां तेन कृत्यं विनिर्मितम्

Transliteration

sahasraṃ vatsarāṇāṃ tu ratāsaktasya śūlinaḥ | atikrāṃtaṃ na devānāṃ tena kṛtyaṃ vinirmitam

Translation

For a thousand years, Śūlin (Śiva), absorbed in amorous union, had remained so; and during all that time the gods could not bring about the intended task that depended upon him.

Word by Word

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc); एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (measure)

• वत्सराणाम्: of years
• वत्सराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• रता: pleasure/sexual enjoyment
• रता: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रता (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिकरूप (समासपूर्वपद)

• आसक्तस्य: of (one) attached/absorbed
• आसक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + सञ्ज्/सज् (धातु) → आसक्त (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन; विशेषण

• शूलिनः: of Śūlin (Śiva, trident-bearer)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• अतिक्रान्तम्: (has) passed/elapsed
• अतिक्रान्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (Result/state/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + क्रम् (धातु) → अतिक्रान्त (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; (elliptic: 'कालः/समयः')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• तेन: by that/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• कृत्यम्: a task/act to be done
• कृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• विनिर्मितम्: was fashioned/produced
• विनिर्मितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + निर् + मा (धातु) → विनिर्मित (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive sense)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Nāgarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa (implied)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A time-lapse sense: Śiva (Śūlin) absorbed in union, while in the distance the devas wait helplessly as years pass; the contrast between divine intimacy and cosmic crisis.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śūlin)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the gods’ plans depend on divine timing; worldly urgency yields to the sovereign will of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kailāsa is the implied sacred locus, the divine abode from which the ensuing tīrtha-narrative unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse sets narrative context for later dharmic or tīrtha-related instruction.