Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

एवं प्राप्ता तदा शूली मुनिना तेन दारुणा । पूर्वकर्मविपाकेन दोषहीनेन धीमता

Transliteration

evaṃ prāptā tadā śūlī muninā tena dāruṇā | pūrvakarmavipākena doṣahīnena dhīmatā

Translation

Ainsi, en ce temps-là, par la maturation des actes d’autrefois, ce muni redoutable—sage et sans faute—s’approcha du Seigneur au trident, Śiva.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus/in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• प्राप्ता: was reached/occurred
• प्राप्ता: Kriyā (Predicate, participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘having been reached/obtained’ (agreeing with implied स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक like ‘अवस्था/दशा’)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• शूली: Śūlin (Śiva)
• शूली: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘Śūlin (Śiva)’

• मुनिना: by the sage
• मुनिना: Karta (Agent, in passive/participial context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by the sage’

• तेन: by that (sage)
• तेन: Karta (Agent, appositional)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by him/that’ (referring to the sage)

• दारुणा: terrible/harsh
• दारुणा: Karta (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by the terrible/harsh (one)’ (qualifying ‘मुनिना/तेन’)

• पूर्वकर्मविपाकेन: by the fruition of past karma
• पूर्वकर्मविपाकेन: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + कर्म + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘पूर्वस्य कर्मणः विपाकः’ = ‘ripening/result of former karma’

• दोषहीनेन: faultless
• दोषहीनेन: Karta (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोष + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘दोषैः हीनः’ = ‘free from दोष’ (qualifying ‘धीमता’)

• धीमता: by the wise (one)
• धीमता: Karta (Agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by the wise one’

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in a māhātmya setting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous contrast: the sage, calm and radiant despite ordeal, approaches the Trident-bearing Śiva in a sacred grove/clearing; Śiva stands with triśūla, matted hair, crescent moon, and compassionate gaze; the atmosphere suggests destiny unfolding.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śūlī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even encounters with the Divine unfold through karma’s maturation; true merit is marked by wisdom and freedom from fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya framework, but this line alone does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it functions as narrative linkage emphasizing karma and divine approach.