Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

धातूनां कांचनं यद्वद्गंधर्वाणां च नारदः । तथा त्वं सर्वदेवानामाधिपत्ये व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

dhātūnāṃ kāṃcanaṃ yadvadgaṃdharvāṇāṃ ca nāradaḥ | tathā tvaṃ sarvadevānāmādhipatye vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

ധാതുക്കളിൽ കാഞ്ചനം (സ്വർണം) ശ്രേഷ്ഠമായതുപോലെ, ഗന്ധർവന്മാരിൽ നാരദൻ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനായതുപോലെ, അങ്ങനെ നീ സർവ്വദേവന്മാരുടെ മേൽ അധിപത്യത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതനാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• धातूनाम्: of metals/minerals
• धातूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• काञ्चनम्: gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• यद्वत्: just as
• यद्वत्: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (as/just like)

• गन्धर्वाणाम्: of the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (Conjunction: and)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject in second comparison/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (so/likewise)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, सर्वनाम

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/समासार्थ: सर्वेषां देवानाम्, पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आधिपत्ये: in sovereignty
• आधिपत्ये: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधिपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितः: established; firmly situated
• व्यवस्थितः: Kriya (Predicative state/क्रियासमाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

Speaker

Devāḥ (the gods)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva central; to one side, a gleaming gold motif (coins/ingot) symbolizing ‘kāñcana’; to the other, Nārada with vīṇā leading gandharvas in song, all oriented toward Śiva’s sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Nārada
• Gandharvas
• Kāñcana (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse teaches discernment of the ‘highest’ principle: as excellence exists in every category, Śiva is praised as the highest among the gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse is part of the devotional framing of the tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a comparative hymn of praise.