Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

नारदादुत्तरे भागे सर्वे नागाः प्रहर्षिताः । नारदीये सरःश्रेष्ठे यः स्नात्वा पूजयेद्धरम्

Transliteration

nāradāduttare bhāge sarve nāgāḥ praharṣitāḥ | nāradīye saraḥśreṣṭhe yaḥ snātvā pūjayeddharam

Translation

നാരദനുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട സ്ഥലത്തിന്റെ ഉത്തരഭാഗത്ത് സർവ്വ നാഗന്മാരും ഹർഷിതരായിരിക്കുന്നു. ശ്രേഷ്ഠമായ നാരദീയ സരസ്സിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ഹരനെ (ശിവനെ) പൂജിക്കുന്നവൻ…

Word by Word

• nāradāt: to the north of Nārada / from Nārada (point)
• nāradāt: Apadana (Reference point/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• uttare: in the northern
• uttare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (भागे)

• bhāge: in the part/region
• bhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (नागाः)

• nāgāḥ: Nāgas (serpents)
• nāgāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• praharṣitāḥ: delighted, rejoiced
• praharṣitāḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-hṛṣ (हृष्, धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• nāradīye: in the Nārada (named)
• nāradīye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nāradīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (सरःश्रेष्ठे)

• saraḥśreṣṭhe: in the best lake
• saraḥśreṣṭhe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saras-śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक); सरस् + श्रेष्ठ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समास: सरःश्रेष्ठ

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (स्ना, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (पूज्, धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• dharam: Dhara (Śiva)
• dharam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; here as epithet of Śiva (धर)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāradīya-saras

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim party moves northward along the lakeshore guided by sages; Nāga symbols (serpent motifs, hooded guardians) suggest the ‘rejoicing Nāgas’ region; the devotee bathes and approaches Śiva (Hara) for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Nāgas
• Nāradīya-saras
• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna gains fullness when followed by worship of Śiva (Hara), uniting purification with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāradīya-saras, described as a श्रेष्ठ (excellent) sacred lake.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing in Nāradīya-saras and then performing pūjā to Hara (Śiva).