Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा ततो ध्यानं चक्रे देवो महेश्वरः । व्यावृत्यकमलं हृत्स्थमष्टपत्रं सकर्णिकम्

Transliteration

evamuktvā tato dhyānaṃ cakre devo maheśvaraḥ | vyāvṛtyakamalaṃ hṛtsthamaṣṭapatraṃ sakarṇikam

Translation

Having spoken thus, the god Maheśvara entered meditation. He unfolded the lotus within his heart—an eight-petalled lotus with its pericarp.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriyā (Absolutive subordinate action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकाले कृतक्रिया (having said)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverb/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरवाचक (adverb: then/thereafter)

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• चक्रे: performed, undertook
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (he did/performed)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवस्य विशेषण/उपाधि (appositive title)

• व्यावृत्य: having opened/turned (aside)
• व्यावृत्य: Kriyā (Absolutive subordinate action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + आ + वृत् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); “व्यावृत्य” = having opened/turned aside

• कमलम्: lotus
• कमलम्: Karma (Object of ‘vyāvṛtya’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• हृत्स्थम्: situated in the heart
• हृत्स्थम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: हृदि स्थितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कमलस्य विशेषण (Acc. sg. agreeing with kamalam)

• अष्टपत्रम्: eight-petalled
• अष्टपत्रम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु समास (अष्टानि पत्राणि यस्य तत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कमलस्य विशेषण

• सकर्णिकम्: with a pericarp
• सकर्णिकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (सह-तत्पुरुष: कर्णिकया सह); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कमलस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (rṣi/sūta frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśvara sits in profound meditation; the viewer is invited into a symbolic interior vision: an eight-petalled lotus blooming within the heart, petals unfolding around a central pericarp.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Heart-lotus (hṛtkamala)
• Meditation (dhyāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine solutions arise from inner stillness; Śiva’s meditation symbolizes the yogic source of cosmic re-ordering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The meditation sets up the forthcoming act that will affect the Pādukā tīrtha of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation (dhyāna) is depicted—specifically focusing on the heart-lotus (hṛtstha aṣṭapatra-kamala).