Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

प्रासादं तत्समीपस्थं साधु दृष्टिमनोहरम् । कारयित्वातिसंभक्त्या कैलासशिखरोपमम्

Transliteration

prāsādaṃ tatsamīpasthaṃ sādhu dṛṣṭimanoharam | kārayitvātisaṃbhaktyā kailāsaśikharopamam

Translation

Tout près se dressait un temple splendide, agréable au regard et ravissant l’esprit. Avec une dévotion ardente, elle le fit bâtir, semblable au sommet du Kailāsa.

Word by Word

• प्रासादम्: palace, temple-building
• प्रासादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; विशेषण (निर्देशक)

• समीपस्थम्: situated nearby
• समीपस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (समीपे स्थितः)

• साधु: well, properly
• साधु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण — Indeclinable; adverb

• दृष्टि-मनोरहम्: pleasing to behold
• दृष्टि-मनोरहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्टि + मनोरह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (दृष्ट्या मनोहरः)

• कारयित्वा: having caused (it) to be built/made
• कारयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → कारय्; क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); णिजन्त (causative) — having caused to be made/done

• अति-सम्भक्त्या: with great devotion
• अति-सम्भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + सम्भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; अव्ययीभाव-समास (अतिशयेन सम्भक्त्या)

• कैलास-शिखर-उपमम्: like the peak of Kailāsa
• कैलास-शिखर-उपमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कैलास + शिखर + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (कैलासशिखरेण उपमम्/सदृशम्)

Speaker

Sūta (descriptive narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A newly built, radiant temple rises near the sacred spot, its spire evoking Kailāsa; devotees and artisans complete the prāsāda with reverent focus.

Characters & Entities

• prāsāda (temple)
• Kailāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expresses itself through sustaining sacred places—building temples near tīrthas amplifies dharma and communal merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha with a nearby temple likened to Kailāsa is praised; the exact name of the site is not included in this verse snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied dharmic act is tīrtha-sevā through temple construction (prāsāda-karaṇa), though no step-by-step ritual is specified.