Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अथ तां तत्र विज्ञाय तपःस्थां गिरजां भवः । तन्मंत्राकृष्टचित्तश्च सत्वरं समुपागतः

Transliteration

atha tāṃ tatra vijñāya tapaḥsthāṃ girajāṃ bhavaḥ | tanmaṃtrākṛṣṭacittaśca satvaraṃ samupāgataḥ

Translation

Alors Bhava (Śiva), reconnaissant là Girijā demeurant dans l’austérité, et l’esprit attiré par ses mantras, accourut promptement en ce lieu.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (now/then)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• विज्ञाय: having recognized
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having known/recognized’

• तपःस्थाम्: engaged in austerity
• तपःस्थाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस्-स्था (तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्था (धातु/प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (तपसि स्थिता) = ‘standing/abiding in austerity’

• गिरजाम्: Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरजाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि-ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (गिरेः जा) = ‘mountain-born (Pārvatī)’

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शिवनाम

• तन्मन्त्राकृष्टचित्तः: whose mind was drawn by her mantra
• तन्मन्त्राकृष्टचित्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद्-मन्त्र-आकृष्ट-चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (तस्य मन्त्रेण आकृष्टं चित्तं यस्य) — बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; आकृष्ट = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (आ-√कृष्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• समुपागतः: arrived
• समुपागतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having come/arrived’ (finite sense with nominal predicate)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrative voice; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Bhava) arrives swiftly, drawn by mantra, approaching Girijā in her austerity-seat; the air vibrates with mantra-force, nature subtly bows.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Bhava)
• Pārvatī (Girijā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas and mantra are portrayed as spiritually potent—capable of drawing divine attention and transforming a place into a sacred locus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter is within Tīrthamāhātmya, but the precise tīrtha name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse highlights mantra-japa and tapas as efficacious spiritual disciplines.