Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

एको जानाति देवोऽयं मम संदर्शनं गतः । देवदेवो महादेवः प्रथमं भक्तवत्सलः

Transliteration

eko jānāti devo'yaṃ mama saṃdarśanaṃ gataḥ | devadevo mahādevaḥ prathamaṃ bhaktavatsalaḥ

Translation

Ce Dieu seul le sait véritablement : il est venu à ma vue — le Dieu des dieux, Mahādeva lui-même, le premier entre tous, plein de tendresse pour ses dévots.

Word by Word

• ekaḥ: one (single person)
• ekaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• jānāti: knows
• jānāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• saṃdarśanam: sight/vision (of me)
• saṃdarśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• gataḥ: has gone/has come (to)
• gataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + gata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• deva-devaḥ: God of gods
• deva-devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• mahādevaḥ: Mahādeva (the great god)
• mahādevaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद-प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः)

• prathamam: first/at first
• prathamam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• bhakta-vatsalaḥ: affectionate to devotees
• bhakta-vatsalaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vatsala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (भक्तेषु वत्सलः) विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; internal voice describing recognition of Śiva’s grace)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahādeva-darśana sthāna in Nāgara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee (or lead ascetic) speaks in awe: ‘He has come into my sight’; Śiva stands serene, embodying Devadeva Mahādeva; the devotee’s face shows tears/rapt attention, hands folded.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahādeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is “bhaktavatsala”—devotion draws the Lord’s presence and makes the sacred place spiritually fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; the tīrtha is implied by the darśana-event, but not named in this single line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the emphasis is theological—Śiva’s primacy and affection for devotees.