Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

क्षुत्पीडया समायाता नैव निद्रा कथंचन । स्वल्पापि मंदिरे चात्र स्थितयोर्हरसन्निधौ

Transliteration

kṣutpīḍayā samāyātā naiva nidrā kathaṃcana | svalpāpi maṃdire cātra sthitayorharasannidhau

Translation

ભૂખની પીડાથી પીડિત અમને બન્નેને કશી રીતે પણ ઊંઘ આવી નહીં; અહીં આ મંદિરમાં હર (શિવ) ની સન્નિધિમાં રહીને પણ, જરાય નહીં।

Word by Word

• क्षुत्पीडया: due to hunger-pain
• क्षुत्पीडया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षुधा-पीडा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• समायाता: came upon, occurred
• समायाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + या (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘निद्रा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed, at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• निद्रा: sleep
• निद्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कथंचन: in any way, at all
• कथंचन: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable adverb: ‘in any way/at all’)

• स्वल्पा: even a little
• स्वल्पा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘निद्रा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थ/समुच्चय (particle: ‘even/also’)

• मन्दिरे: in the temple
• मन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (indeclinable adverb: ‘here’)

• स्थितयोः: of the two staying
• स्थितयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘स्थित’ (past participle) से निष्पन्न, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन; ‘(तयोः) स्थितयोः’ = ‘of the two who were staying’

• हरसन्निधौ: in the presence of Hara (Śiva)
• हरसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हरस्य सन्निधिः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Rājā (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hara-sannidhi (temple residence)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ (best of Brahmins)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a dim temple hall, two pilgrims sit near the sanctum through the night—thin, hungry, eyes open—lamp-light falling on the Śiva emblem, their bodies weary but minds fixed.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity endured in the immediate presence of Śiva—here, wakefulness caused by hunger—becomes part of a spiritually charged vigil.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The temple locale where Hara is present (Hara-sannidhi) within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; the verse emphasizes sanctity through proximity to the deity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, the practice of remaining awake (jāgaraṇa) in the temple precincts, even under bodily hardship.