Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तत्रैव दिवसे तावन्महाकालस्य चाग्रतः । अपश्यद्ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठान्नानादिग्भ्यः समागतान्

Transliteration

tatraiva divase tāvanmahākālasya cāgrataḥ | apaśyadbrāhmaṇaśreṣṭhānnānādigbhyaḥ samāgatān

Translation

Ce même jour, devant Mahākāla, il vit les plus éminents brāhmaṇas, rassemblés de toutes les directions.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle: 'indeed/just')

• divase: on that day
• divase: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• tāvat: then/at that time
• tāvat: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्ययम् (extent: 'then/so long/at that time')

• mahākālasya: of Mahākāla
• mahākālasya: Sambandha (Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahākāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• agrataḥ: in front
• agrataḥ: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (spatial adverb: 'in front of')

• apaśyat: saw
• apaśyat: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

• brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭhān: excellent brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇa-śreṣṭhān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः (best among brāhmaṇas) (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• nānā-digbhyaḥ: from various directions
• nānā-digbhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nānā (अव्यय) + diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘नानाऽ’ उपसर्गवत् विशेषणार्थे (Feminine, Ablative, Plural; 'from various directions')

• samāgatān: assembled/arrived
• samāgatān: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√gam (धातु) + क्त (Kṛdanta)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्तः (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Accusative, Plural; qualifying brāhmaṇas)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Māhātmya (exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-sannidhi

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king stands before Mahākāla and beholds an assembly of eminent brāhmaṇas arriving from many directions—some with staffs and waterpots, some with manuscripts—gathering in the temple space.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha draws realized and learned people; their presence amplifies the sanctity and learning of the place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The gathering occurs ‘in front of Mahākāla,’ highlighting Mahākāla’s shrine as the tīrtha-center.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it sets the scene of a sacred assembly at Mahākāla’s presence.