Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्काले सहस्राक्षः समागच्छति भूतले । भागानां मर्त्यजातानां सेवनाय सदैव हि

Transliteration

tasminkāle sahasrākṣaḥ samāgacchati bhūtale | bhāgānāṃ martyajātānāṃ sevanāya sadaiva hi

Translation

En ce temps-là, le Mille-Yeux (Indra) descend sur la terre—toujours désireux de prendre part aux parts assignées (offrandes/mérite) des humains.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी); एकवचन

• काले: time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time-locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी); एकवचन

• सहस्राक्षः: Sahasrākṣa (Indra, ‘thousand-eyed’)
• सहस्राक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (सहस्राणि अक्षाणि यस्य सः)

• समागच्छति: comes, arrives
• समागच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूतले: on the earth
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी); एकवचन

• भागानाम्: of the shares/portions
• भागानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी); बहुवचन

• मर्त्यजातानाम्: of those born as mortals
• मर्त्यजातानाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मर्त्य + जात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (मर्त्येषु जाताः)

• सेवनाय: for service/attendance
• सेवनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी); एकवचन

• सदैव: always indeed
• सदैव: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb); सदा (always) + एव (emphasis)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śakreśvara-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (thousand-eyed) descends from svarga to a luminous tīrtha; subtle depiction of ‘bhāga’ as streams of light rising from offerings/merit toward him while pilgrims perform rites below.

Characters & Entities

• Sahasrākṣa (Indra)
• Bhūtala (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain calendrical windows are cosmically charged; divine beings are said to be especially present to receive and witness dharmic rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bālamaṇḍana tīrtha (the ‘that time’ refers to the previously stated Āśvina observance at this place).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; it explains the divine presence accompanying the time of the tīrtha observances.