Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तत्र सिद्धिं गताः पूर्वं शतशः पुरुषा भुवि । दर्शनात्स्पर्शनाच्चान्ये प्रणामादपरे नराः

Transliteration

tatra siddhiṃ gatāḥ pūrvaṃ śataśaḥ puruṣā bhuvi | darśanātsparśanāccānye praṇāmādapare narāḥ

Translation

Là, jadis, des centaines d’hommes sur la terre atteignirent la siddhi : les uns par le seul darśana et le toucher, d’autres par une simple prosternation (praṇāma).

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

• siddhim: success/perfection
• siddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• gatāḥ: having attained
• gatāḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'formerly/earlier')

• śataśaḥ: by hundreds
• śataśaḥ: Saṅkhyā/Parimāṇa (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śataśas (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb: 'by hundreds')

• puruṣāḥ: men
• puruṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• bhuvi: on earth
• bhuvi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक: bhūmi)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• darśanāt: from seeing / by the sight
• darśanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• sparśanāt: from touching / by the touch
• sparśanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• praṇāmāt: from bowing / by prostration
• praṇāmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• apare: others (different ones)
• apare: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• narāḥ: men
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like depiction: groups of pilgrims across time—some merely gazing, some touching the sacred emblem, others fully prostrating—while subtle siddhi signs (radiance, calm faces, ascetic aura) appear.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhi
• Siddheśvara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple acts—seeing, touching, bowing—become powerful when performed at a sanctified tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Siddheśvara/Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra locus described in Adhyāya 29.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana, sparśa, and praṇāma are presented as effective devotional practices.