Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अथ दृष्ट्वा सहस्राक्षः सर्वे पापनरा भुवि । स्वर्गं यांति तथा मोक्षं प्राप्नुवन्ति च सम्मुखम्

Transliteration

atha dṛṣṭvā sahasrākṣaḥ sarve pāpanarā bhuvi | svargaṃ yāṃti tathā mokṣaṃ prāpnuvanti ca sammukham

Translation

അപ്പോൾ സഹസ്രാക്ഷനെ (ഇന്ദ്രനെ) ദർശിച്ചതോടെ ഭൂമിയിലെ എല്ലാ പാപികളും സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുകയും, നേരിൽ തന്നെ മോക്ഷവും പ്രാപിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having seen)

• सहस्राक्षः: the thousand-eyed one (Indra)
• सहस्राक्षः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; सहस्र + अक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य सहस्रम् अक्षाणि सः)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पापनराः: sinful men
• पापनराः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-नर (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + नर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (पापाः नराः)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (गति/कर्म), एकवचन

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यत्व (also/likewise)

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/प्राप्तव्य), एकवचन

• प्राप्नुवन्ति: attain
• प्राप्नुवन्ति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• सम्मुखम्: directly/in their presence
• सम्मुखम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्मुख (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (directly/in presence)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate narrative frame; explicit in 14.1)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Sahasrākṣa) appears in divine splendor; sinners on earth behold him and are shown ascending toward svarga, while a few attain serene liberation ‘face to face’.

Characters & Entities

• Sahasrākṣa (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya style emphasizes extraordinary redemptive power—contact with a divine presence can overturn even heavy sin and grant exalted destinies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing Acaleśvara-kṣetra/Camatkārapura narrative setting within Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights the salvific effect of darśana (seeing/encountering the divine).