Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सत्यसंधोऽपि तं दृष्ट्वा समाधिस्थं पितामहम् । समाध्यंतं प्रतीक्षन्स उपविष्टः समीपतः

Transliteration

satyasaṃdho'pi taṃ dṛṣṭvā samādhisthaṃ pitāmaham | samādhyaṃtaṃ pratīkṣansa upaviṣṭaḥ samīpataḥ

Translation

സത്യസങ്കൽപനായിരുന്നിട്ടും, സമാധിയിൽ ലീനനായ പിതാമഹൻ (ബ്രഹ്മാവ്)നെ കണ്ടു, സമാധി അവസാനിക്കുവോളം കാത്ത് സമീപത്ത് ഇരുന്നുവു।

Word by Word

• सत्यसन्धः: one true to his vow
• सत्यसन्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य-सन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; सन्ध = √सन्ध् (धातु) ‘to join/agree’ से निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सत्ये सन्धः/सत्यसन्धः) — ‘truth-bound/true to his vow’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/समुच्चयार्थक — ‘even/also’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having seen’

• समाधिस्थम्: situated in samādhi
• समाधिस्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाधि-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्थ = √स्था (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (समाधौ स्थितः)

• पितामहम्: the grandsire (Pitāmaha)
• पितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• समाध्यन्तम्: entering/engaged in samādhi
• समाध्यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाध्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक; √धा (धातु) से ‘समाधि’ सम्बन्धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; वर्तमानकालिक विशेषणार्थ — ‘entering/engaged in samādhi’

• प्रतीक्षन्: waiting
• प्रतीक्षन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ईक्ष् (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्रति
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/active present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘waiting’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उपविष्टः: sat down
• उपविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त/past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘seated’

• समीपतः: nearby
• समीपतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्यय (ablatival adverb) — ‘nearby/at close range’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king (or noble seeker) arrives and sees Brahmā seated in deep samādhi; the visitor halts, folds hands, and sits quietly nearby, keeping respectful distance in a sacred grove/lotus-lake setting.

Characters & Entities

• pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• samādhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence includes restraint: one should not disturb sacred meditation, even when one’s own duty is urgent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene is in Brahmaloka; no specific earthly pilgrimage site is stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it models proper conduct—waiting silently near a sage/deity in samādhi.