Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

यावद्वर्षसहस्रांतं शीर्णपर्णा शनः स्थितः । ध्यायमानो महादेवं कायेन मनसा गिरा

Transliteration

yāvadvarṣasahasrāṃtaṃ śīrṇaparṇā śanaḥ sthitaḥ | dhyāyamāno mahādevaṃ kāyena manasā girā

Translation

Pendant mille années entières, il demeura là, se consumant peu à peu, tandis qu’il méditait sur Mahādeva par le corps, l’esprit et la parole.

Word by Word

• यावत्: until, for as long as
• यावत्: Kala-parimana (Extent of time/कालपरिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative: as long as/until)

• वर्षसहस्रान्तम्: up to the end of a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रान्तम्: Kala-parimana (Extent of time/कालपरिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष—वर्ष-सहस्र-अन्त (end of a thousand years)

• शीर्णपर्णः: with withered leaves (as sustenance)
• शीर्णपर्णः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीर्ण (कृदन्त; √शॄ) + पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहि—शीर्णानि पर्णानि यस्य (one whose leaves are withered / living on withered leaves)

• शनः: slowly
• शनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: slowly/gradually)

• स्थितः: remained, stood
• स्थितः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle used in active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ध्यायमानः: meditating
• ध्यायमानः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present participle, Ātmanepada), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय—महान् देवः (Śiva)

• कायेन: with the body
• कायेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गिरा: with speech
• गिरा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a windswept sacred hill, Tāraka stands or sits in severe austerity, leaves withered around him; his body is emaciated, yet his gaze is fixed inward on Mahādeva; a faint Śiva-liṅga or cosmic Śiva form appears in a visionary aura.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Tāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed devotion—integrating body, mind, and speech—constitutes powerful tapas, especially when undertaken at a sanctified site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokarṇa is the implied setting, continuing the tīrtha narrative from the previous verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) and sustained tapas are described, framed as total discipline of body, mind, and speech.