Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा तुष्टिमापन्नः शिवदीक्षां ततो ददौ । तस्मै विनययुक्ताय तदा निंबशुचो मुनिः

Transliteration

tacchrutvā tuṣṭimāpannaḥ śivadīkṣāṃ tato dadau | tasmai vinayayuktāya tadā niṃbaśuco muniḥ

Translation

À ces paroles, le sage Nimbaśuca fut comblé de satisfaction ; puis il conféra la Śivadīkṣā, l’initiation à Śiva, à cet homme humble et bien discipliné.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (speech)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular); ‘श्रुत्वा’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) = ‘having heard’

• तुष्टिम्: satisfaction
• तुष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• आपन्नः: having attained
• आपन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपद् (धातु) + क्त → आपन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular); कर्तृ-विशेषण (qualifies implied subject ‘मुनिः’)

• शिव-दीक्षाम्: Śiva-initiation
• शिव-दीक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + दीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Śiva’s initiation / initiation into Śiva)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb: ‘then/thereupon’)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine/any), चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (singular)

• विनय-युक्ताय: to the humble one
• विनय-युक्ताय: Sampradana (Recipient qualifier/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनय (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (singular); तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थ (vinayena yuktaḥ) = ‘endowed with humility’; ‘तस्मै’ इति विशेषणम्

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• निंबशुचः: Nimbaśuca (the sage)
• निंबशुचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निंबशुच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular); मुनि-विशेष-नाम (proper name/epithet)

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a forest hermitage, the sage Nimbaśuca, pleased, performs śivadīkṣā: sprinkling sanctified water, placing ash/tilaka, and imparting mantra to a humble disciple in añjali.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Nimbaśuca (muni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and disciplined conduct qualify a seeker to receive Śaiva initiation and the guru’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (glorification of sacred places), but this single line does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivadīkṣā—formal Śaiva initiation bestowed by a guru/muni upon a qualified disciple.