Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

देवानां दर्शनं चापि पृथक्तेन प्रकीर्तितम् । न शक्यते फलं प्राप्तुं सर्वेषां केनचिन्मुने

Transliteration

devānāṃ darśanaṃ cāpi pṛthaktena prakīrtitam | na śakyate phalaṃ prāptuṃ sarveṣāṃ kenacinmune

Translation

Même la contemplation (darśana) des dieux est proclamée séparément. Ainsi, ô sage, nul ne peut obtenir le fruit de toutes ces pratiques.

Word by Word

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

• दर्शनम्: seeing; दर्शन
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• पृथक्तेन: separately; one by one
• पृथक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भाववाचक (in the manner of separateness)

• प्रकीर्तितम्: has been proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (अस्ति इति अध्याहारः)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• शक्यते: is possible
• शक्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्तुम्: to obtain
• प्राप्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक (purpose)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all (of them)
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• केनचित्: by someone/anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अनिश्चित (indefinite: 'by someone/anyone')

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

King of Ānarta (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (addressed as ‘muni’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king looks concerned as the sage indicates many shrines—Śiva-liṅgas, Viṣṇu icons, Devī sanctums—each radiating different halos, suggesting separate darśana fruits and the impossibility of completing all.

Characters & Entities

• deva-darśana
• muni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text acknowledges human limitation and prepares for a teaching that gathers many merits into a single accessible practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse speaks generally of deity-visions and their individually taught merits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Deva-darśana is referenced as a source of merit, but no particular temple-ritual is specified.