Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

महेशविष्णसंयुक्ता सा स्मृता पापनाशिनी । योगिध्येया सदापूज्य सत्त्वाधारगुणातिगा

Transliteration

maheśaviṣṇasaṃyuktā sā smṛtā pāpanāśinī | yogidhyeyā sadāpūjya sattvādhāraguṇātigā

Translation

Unie à Maheśa et à Viṣṇu, elle est rappelée comme celle qui détruit le péché. Elle est l’objet de la méditation des yogins, toujours digne d’adoration—support de tout être, et au-delà des guṇas.

Word by Word

• महेशविष्णसंयुक्ता: associated with Maheśa and Viṣṇu
• महेशविष्णसंयुक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तृतीया/सह-सम्बन्धार्थक तत्पुरुष (Feminine nominative singular; joined/associated with Maheśa and Viṣṇu)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; कर्ता (Feminine nominative singular)

• स्मृता: is remembered/called
• स्मृता: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; विधेय (Feminine nominative singular; is remembered/called)

• पापनाशिनी: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Feminine nominative singular; destroyer of sins)

• योगिध्येया: to be meditated on by yogis
• योगिध्येया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्येय (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/नीयतुल्य); विशेषण (Feminine nominative singular; to be meditated upon by yogis)

• सदापूज्य: always worthy of worship
• सदापूज्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदा (अव्यय) + पूज्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव समास; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त; (to be always worshipped)

• सत्त्वाधारगुणातिगा: support of sattva and beyond the guṇas
• सत्त्वाधारगुणातिगा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आधार (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अतिग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (Feminine nominative singular; transcending the qualities, being the support of sattva)

Speaker

Deductive (Tīrthamāhātmya narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandara-parvata (Śakti as pāpa-nāśinī)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene, guṇātīta Devī is shown with subtle iconographic hints of Śiva and Viṣṇu unity—Śiva’s crescent/triśūla motif and Viṣṇu’s śaṅkha-cakra motifs—while yogins meditate and devotees offer worship.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa
• Viṣṇu
• Yogins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering and worshiping the guṇātīta Divine who harmonizes Śiva and Viṣṇu purifies sin and steadies yogic contemplation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The praise belongs to Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 247); the precise site-name is not given in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous worship (sadāpūjā) and yogic meditation (dhyāna) are implied as the principal practices.