Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एवमस्त्विति तं चोक्त्वा भगवान्वृषभध्वजः । सर्वैर्गणैः समायुक्तस्ततश्चादर्शनं गतः

Transliteration

evamastviti taṃ coktvā bhagavānvṛṣabhadhvajaḥ | sarvairgaṇaiḥ samāyuktastataścādarśanaṃ gataḥ

Translation

ಅವನಿಗೆ ‘ಏವಮಸ್ತು’ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿ, ವೃಷಭಧ್ವಜನಾದ ಭಗವಾನ್ ಶಿವನು ಎಲ್ಲ ಗಣಗಳೊಡನೆ ಸೇರಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿಿಂದ ಅದೃಶ್ಯನಾದನು.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus (saying)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृषभध्वजः: he whose banner is the bull (Śiva)
• वृषभध्वजः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣabha-dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक; वृषभ + ध्वज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (वृषभः ध्वजः यस्य सः)

• सर्वैः: with all
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• गणैः: with (his) hosts
• गणैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• समायुक्तः: accompanied / joined
• समायुक्तः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samāyukta (कृदन्त; युज्-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रम-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अदर्शनम्: invisibility / out of sight
• अदर्शनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतः: went / became
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gata (कृदन्त; गम्-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle) used verbally, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta in the wider Tīrthamāhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, bearing the bull-banner, speaks ‘evam astu’ to Viśvāmitra; gaṇas cluster around; then Śiva fades from sight, leaving a charged stillness at the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine assurance (“evam astu”) and the fleeting nature of darśana teach reverence, humility, and readiness to act on Śiva’s command or blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya flow; the immediate snippet does not name the exact tīrtha, but it supports the site’s sanctity through Śiva’s direct presence and disappearance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed in this verse; it functions as a narrative pivot marking the completion of Śiva’s boon/permission.