Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

एवमाराध्यमानोऽपि सन्तोषं परमेश्वरः । नाभ्यगच्छत्परां तुष्टिं कथंचिदपि स द्विजाः

Transliteration

evamārādhyamāno'pi santoṣaṃ parameśvaraḥ | nābhyagacchatparāṃ tuṣṭiṃ kathaṃcidapi sa dvijāḥ

Translation

Et pourtant, bien qu’ainsi adoré, Parameśvara n’atteignit pas la pleine satisfaction ; d’aucune manière il ne parvint à la joie suprême, ô deux-fois-nés.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारार्थ (thus)

• आराध्यमानः: being worshipped
• आराध्यमानः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राध् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग) (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय (present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (परमेश्वरः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि-कार (even/also)

• सन्तोषम्: contentment
• सन्तोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्तोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• परमेश्वरः: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (परमः ईश्वरः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अभ्यगच्छत्: attained/reached
• अभ्यगच्छत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + अभि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तुष्टिम्)

• तुष्टिम्: satisfaction
• तुष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कथंचित्: somehow
• कथंचित्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/अनिश्चितार्थ (somehow)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि-कार (even)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्विजाः: O twice-born ones
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (vocative/nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narrative voice addressing dvijāḥ within the story)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvijeśvara (contextual, from prior verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees continue elaborate worship before the liṅga, yet the atmosphere feels unresolved; Śiva’s presence is sensed but not ‘fully pleased’—a subtle tension: offerings piled, lamps burning, faces anxious and questioning.

Characters & Entities

• Parameśvara
• Śiva
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace is not mechanically produced by effort alone; inner fitness and the right spirit of worship are implied as essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s sacred geography, though the verse itself focuses on Śiva’s response rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continued ārādhana (propitiatory worship), though the verse stresses its (temporary) lack of visible result.