Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ततो हर्षं परं गत्वा प्रणिपत्य च तं भुवि । कृतकृत्यमिवात्मानं स मेने पार्थिवोत्तमः

Transliteration

tato harṣaṃ paraṃ gatvā praṇipatya ca taṃ bhuvi | kṛtakṛtyamivātmānaṃ sa mene pārthivottamaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൻ പരമാനന്ദത്തിൽ നിറഞ്ഞു ഭൂമിയിൽ സാഷ്ടാംഗമായി അവനെ നമസ്കരിച്ചു. ആ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ രാജാവ് താനെ കൃതകൃത്യൻ—ജീവിതലക്ഷ്യം സിദ്ധിച്ചതുപോലെ—എന്നു കരുതി.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त

• हर्षम्: joy
• हर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गत्वा: having gone/attained
• गत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• प्रणिपत्य: having bowed down
• प्रणिपत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + निपत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

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

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कृतकृत्यम्: one who has accomplished what was to be done
• कृतकृत्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारय (कृतं कृत्यं यस्य/कृतकृत्यः—भावे)

• इव: as if
• इव: Upamā (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-निपात (comparative particle)

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• मेने: thought, considered
• मेने: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्णभूत); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पार्थिवोत्तमः: the best of kings
• पार्थिवोत्तमः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पार्थिवानाम् उत्तमः)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration; speaker not re-stated in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembled sages / Purāṇic audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a temple courtyard, the king falls flat in full prostration before the liṅga; attendants stand back; the atmosphere is charged with joy and reverence, as if a life-goal has been achieved.

Characters & Entities

• Pārthiva (king)
• Liṅga (implied)
• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True darśana culminates in humility and surrender, producing inner completeness (kṛtakṛtyatā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Acaleśvara-liṅga kṣetra described in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prostration (praṇipāta) is exemplified as a devotional response to the deity’s sign.