Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तस्मात्प्रार्थय ते नित्यं यत्र चित्ते व्यवस्थितम् । दुर्लभं सर्वदेवानां मनुष्याणां विशेषतः

Transliteration

tasmātprārthaya te nityaṃ yatra citte vyavasthitam | durlabhaṃ sarvadevānāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് നിന്റെ ഹൃദയത്തിൽ ദൃഢമായി സ്ഥാപിതമായ അതിനായി നീ നിത്യവും പ്രാർത്ഥിക്ക; അത് സർവ്വദേവന്മാർക്കും ദുർലഭം, മനുഷ്യർക്കു പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭം.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्येतत् अव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverbial use); ‘therefore/from that’

• प्रार्थय: pray/request (you)
• प्रार्थय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रार्थय् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: of you; your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; ‘of you/your’ (enclitic)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); ‘always/constantly’

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक); ‘where’

• चित्ते: in (your) mind
• चित्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितम्: settled/established
• व्यवस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘placed/settled’

• दुर्लभम्: rare; difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshya-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘hard to obtain’

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—सर्वदेव = ‘all the gods’

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); ‘especially’

Speaker

Śiva (continuing the boon-offer)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative moment before the boon-request: a brāhmaṇa devotee with folded hands, eyes steady, heart-set on a rare wish; the deity’s presence implied as a luminous, unseen witness.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Humans

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest boon is the one grounded in purified inner intention; true rarity lies in spiritual aims rather than common desires.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Hāṭakeśvara tīrtha is glorified because the “heart’s settled wish” leads to establishing and honoring the sacred liṅga at the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it emphasizes intentionality in prayer (prārthanā) and boon-seeking.