Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

गालव उवाच । प्रवृत्तायां शैलपुत्र्यां महत्तपसि दारुणे । कन्दर्पेण पराभूतो विचचार महीं हरः

Transliteration

gālava uvāca | pravṛttāyāṃ śailaputryāṃ mahattapasi dāruṇe | kandarpeṇa parābhūto vicacāra mahīṃ haraḥ

Translation

Gālava dit : Lorsque Śailaputrī (Pārvatī, la Fille de la Montagne) entreprit une austérité grande et terrible, Hara (Śiva), vaincu par Kāma (le désir), erra sur la terre.

Word by Word

• गालवः: Gālava
• गालवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रवृत्तायाम्: when (she) had begun/engaged
• प्रवृत्तायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; शैलपुत्र्याम्-विशेषण; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute)

• शैलपुत्र्याम्: in Śailaputrī (Pārvatī)
• शैलपुत्र्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शैलस्य पुत्री)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तपसि-विशेषण

• तपसि: in austerity
• तपसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• दारुणे: severe/terrible
• दारुणे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तपसि-विशेषण

• कन्दर्पेण: by Kandarpa (Cupid)
• कन्दर्पेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• पराभूतः: overcome/defeated
• पराभूतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा + भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; हरः-विशेषण

• विचचार: wandered
• विचचार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महीम्: the earth
• महीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Gālava

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Śailaputrī (Pārvatī)
• Hara (Śiva)
• Kandarpa (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great beings enact līlā around desire and austerity, setting the stage for the revelation of a sacred tīrtha and its purifying power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This chapter’s narrative leads to the glorification of Hara-tīrtha (Haratīrtha), introduced later in the adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; it provides the narrative background for later instructions about tīrtha-snān (holy bathing).