Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्पुरे महाकालं वसंतं परमेश्वरम् । संपूजयत्यसौ भक्त्या चन्द्रसेनो नृपोत्तमः

Transliteration

tasminpure mahākālaṃ vasaṃtaṃ parameśvaram | saṃpūjayatyasau bhaktyā candraseno nṛpottamaḥ

Translation

ആ നഗരത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന പരമേശ്വരനായ മഹാകാലനെ രാജശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ ചന്ദ്രസേനൻ ഭക്തിഭാവത്തോടെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक; महा + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वसन्तम्: dwelling, residing
• वसन्तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसत् (धातु √वस् ‘to dwell’ + शतृ/शानच्; वर्तमानकृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle)

• परमेश्वरम्: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; परम + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संपूजयति: worships, honors
• संपूजयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु) उपसर्गः सम्
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• असौ: that (man), he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• चन्द्रसेनः: Candrasena
• चन्द्रसेनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रसेन (प्रातिपदिक; चन्द्र + सेन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृपोत्तमः: the best of kings
• नृपोत्तमः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; नृप + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Ujjayinī-Mahākāla māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla kṣetra (Avanti/Ujjayinī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a grand city-temple, King Candrasena stands with folded hands before Mahākāla’s liṅga, lamps blazing, priests chanting; the deity’s presence is felt as still, immense, and protective.

Characters & Entities

• Ujjayinī (Ujjain)
• Mahākāla
• Parameśvara
• Candrasena

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship of the presiding deity of a sacred city is portrayed as the highest royal dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ujjayinī’s Mahākāla—iconic Śiva of Ujjain, central to the city’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃpūjā—complete worship of Mahākāla performed with bhakti.