Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

अर्च्यमानं सुवह्नीभिर्नागकन्याभिरैक्षत । ततोऽसौ विस्मयाविष्टो नागकन्या ह्यपृच्छत

Transliteration

arcyamānaṃ suvahnībhirnāgakanyābhiraikṣata | tato'sau vismayāviṣṭo nāgakanyā hyapṛcchata

Translation

ಅದು ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ ನಾಗಕನ್ಯೆಯರಿಂದ ಅರ್ಚಿಸಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಅವನು ಕಂಡನು. ಬಳಿಕ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯಾವಿಷ್ಟನಾಗಿ ಆ ನಾಗಕನ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದನು.

Word by Word

• अर्च्यमानम्: being worshipped
• अर्च्यमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) → अर्च्यमान (कृदन्त, वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि)
• Form: कृदन्त (वर्तमानकृदन्त), कर्मणि प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (context: object/qualifier)

• सुवह्नीभिः: by the good fire(-like women)/Suvahnīs
• सुवह्नीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवह्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• नागकन्याभिः: by the serpent-maidens
• नागकन्याभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागकन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: नागस्य कन्या (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• ऐक्षत: he saw
• ऐक्षत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकार: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of sequence)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विस्मयाविष्टः: overcome with astonishment
• विस्मयाविष्टः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (कृदन्त; आ√विश् धातु)
• Form: समास: विस्मयेन आविष्टः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नागकन्याः: the serpent-maidens
• नागकन्याः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागकन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: नागस्य कन्या (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अपृच्छत: he asked
• अपृच्छत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context: likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant liṅga in a secluded shrine/cavern-like sanctum, encircled by luminous Nāga maidens offering flowers, lamps, and water; the hero observes in astonishment from the threshold.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-liṅga
• Nāgakanyāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s worship transcends worlds and species; devotion appears even in hidden realms like Nāga-loka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is specified; the verse highlights a sacred worship setting around a liṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied arcana (worship) of the liṅga, but no specific rite is detailed.