Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य शिवरात्रौ समागताः । प्रासादे तत्र मुनयः प्राप्ता शाण्डिल्यपूर्वकाः

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya śivarātrau samāgatāḥ | prāsāde tatra munayaḥ prāptā śāṇḍilyapūrvakāḥ

Translation

さてある時、聖なるシヴァラートリーの夜に、諸仙がその神殿に集い来た。中でも筆頭はシャーンディリヤ（Śāṇḍilya）であった。

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of some
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कस्यचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: किम्)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: आरम्भ/अनन्तर-अव्यय (sequence marker)

• कालस्य: time/period
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• शिवरात्रौ: on the night of Śiva (Śivarātri)
• शिवरात्रौ: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—शिवस्य रात्रिः इति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• समागताः: had assembled/came together
• समागताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रासादे: in the palace/temple-building
• प्रासादे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• प्राप्ताः: arrived
• प्राप्ताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शाण्डिल्यपूर्वकाः: with Śāṇḍilya at their head
• शाण्डिल्यपूर्वकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाण्डिल्य-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—शाण्डिल्यः पूर्वः येषां ते (बहुव्रीहि)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On Śivarātri night, a group of sages enters the temple prāsāda—matted hair, staffs, waterpots—led by Śāṇḍilya; the devotee and priests receive them with reverence; lamps illuminate their calm faces.

Characters & Entities

• Śāṇḍilya
• Munis (sages)
• Śivarātri
• Prāsāda (temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a sacred place is established and worship is maintained, it attracts saintly presence—confirming and amplifying the site’s holiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prāsāda (temple) built for the liṅga in this narrative is the immediate sacred locus being honored by the sages’ arrival.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new prescription; the verse marks the auspicious timing—Śivarātri—and the gathering at the temple.