Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32
वयं वार्धक्यमापन्ना बाल्यात्प्रभृति शंकरम् । पूजयन्तोऽपि नो दृष्टस्तथाऽपि परमेश्वर
vayaṃ vārdhakyamāpannā bālyātprabhṛti śaṃkaram | pūjayanto'pi no dṛṣṭastathā'pi parameśvara
ഞങ്ങൾ ബാല്യകാലം മുതൽ ശങ്കരനെ പൂജിച്ചു കൊണ്ടു വാർദ്ധക്യത്തിലെത്തി; എങ്കിലും, ഹേ പരമേശ്വരാ, ഞങ്ങൾ നിന്റെ ദർശനം കണ്ടിട്ടില്ല।
Brāhmaṇas/devotees (addressing Śiva; deduced from first-person plural and vocative)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Elderly devotees, with grey hair and lined faces, stand with folded hands, confessing that despite lifelong worship they have not seen Śiva; the atmosphere is heavy with yearning.
FAQs
The verse voices the ache of devotees seeking darśana; it highlights perseverance while warning against despair.
The setting is Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; this line emphasizes darśana rather than naming the tīrtha.
Continual pūjā (worship) of Śaṅkara over a lifetime.