Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततस्ते वै समालोक्य पुरस्थं वृषभध्वजम् । जानुभ्यां धरणीं गत्वा स्तुतिं चक्रुस्ततस्ततः

Transliteration

tataste vai samālokya purasthaṃ vṛṣabhadhvajam | jānubhyāṃ dharaṇīṃ gatvā stutiṃ cakrustatastataḥ

Translation

Alors, voyant le Seigneur au drapeau du Taureau (Vṛṣabhadhvaja) debout devant eux, ils s’agenouillèrent jusqu’à terre et, sans cesse, élevèrent des hymnes de louange.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/कालवाचक (then)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Emphatic modifier/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/खल्वर्थक (emphatic particle)

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लोक् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• पुरस्थम्: standing in front
• पुरस्थम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (स्था-धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: समासः: पुरस्-स्थ (तत्पुरुष: ‘पुरतः स्थितः’); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘वृषभध्वजम्’ इति विशेषण

• वृषभध्वजम्: the bull-bannered one (Śiva)
• वृषभध्वजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: वृषभ-ध्वज (बहुव्रीहि: ‘वृषभः ध्वजः यस्य’ = whose banner is a bull); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• जानुभ्याम्: with (their) knees
• जानुभ्याम्: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन (dual)

• धरणीम्: the ground
• धरणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone (down)
• गत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त्वा (ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having gone/reached)

• स्तुतिम्: praise/hymn
• स्तुतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• चक्रुः: they did/made
• चक्रुः: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त्या क्रम/अनुक्रम (again and again/thereupon)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta-style narration within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara-kṣetra Śiva-sthāna (Vṛṣabhadhvaja darśana)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas/ascetics behold Śiva with the bull-banner; they drop to their knees, hands folded, faces uplifted, chanting hymns repeatedly; Śiva stands calm and radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vṛṣabhadhvaja (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True pilgrimage culminates in humility and praise—bowing down and offering stuti upon receiving divine darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is a tīrtha praised in Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; this verse highlights the devotional response at that sacred locale without naming it explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional act is shown: prostration/obeisance and recitation of hymns (stuti), though no formal vrata is specified.