Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

अत्र संनिहितो नित्यं भ्रूणरूपेण शंकरः । कृष्णपक्षे विशेषेण चतुर्दश्यां महीपते

Transliteration

atra saṃnihito nityaṃ bhrūṇarūpeṇa śaṃkaraḥ | kṛṣṇapakṣe viśeṣeṇa caturdaśyāṃ mahīpate

Translation

«Ici, Śaṅkara demeure à jamais présent sous la forme d’un fœtus ; et tout particulièrement, ô roi, le quatorzième jour de la quinzaine sombre.»

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संनिहितः: present, stationed
• संनिहितः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-नि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शंकरः-विशेषणम्

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (always)

• भ्रूणरूपेण: in the form of an embryo
• भ्रूणरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Mode)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रूणरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः भ्रूणस्य रूपम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णपक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कृष्णः पक्षः (कर्मधारय)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-viseshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (instrumental used adverbially)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः चतुर्दश + ई (द्विगु: ‘fourteenth (tithi)’)

• महीपते: O king
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः मही + पति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘earth’s lord’)

Speaker

Aśarīriṇī vāk (bodiless divine voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māhīpati (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred pit/kunda is shown as a womb-like sanctum; within or above it, a subtle emblem of Śiva’s presence is hinted (not grotesque—symbolic), with night-sky cues of kṛṣṇa-pakṣa caturdaśī and devotees offering lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• kṛṣṇapakṣa
• caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places have enduring divine presence, and specific lunar times intensify the fruit of worship and pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The “here” refers to the Camatkārapura-kṣetra tīrtha locale where Śaṅkara is said to be continually present.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A timing cue is given: kṛṣṇapakṣa caturdaśī is highlighted as especially significant for practice at this site.