Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ते तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय गत्वा शक्रस्य शासनात् । चक्रुस्ततः समुच्छिन्नं तन्माहात्म्यं गतं भुवि

Transliteration

te tatheti pratijñāya gatvā śakrasya śāsanāt | cakrustataḥ samucchinnaṃ tanmāhātmyaṃ gataṃ bhuvi

Translation

അവർ ‘തഥാസ്തു’ എന്നു പ്രതിജ്ഞ ചെയ്ത് ശക്രന്റെ കല്പനപ്രകാരം പുറപ്പെട്ടു; പിന്നെ ആ മാഹാത്മ്യം ഛേദിച്ച് ഭൂമിയിൽ അതിന്റെ കീർത്തി അപ്രത്യക്ഷമാകുന്നവിധം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/so)

• इति: saying
• इति: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति-सूचक (quotative particle)

• प्रतिज्ञाय: having promised
• प्रतिज्ञाय: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति-ज्ञा (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): “having promised”

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive): “having gone”

• शक्रस्य: of Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• शासनात्: from the command
• शासनात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• चक्रुः: they did/made
• चक्रुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sequence (क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• समुच्छिन्नम्: completely cut off
• समुच्छिन्नम्: Karma (कर्म) (qualifier of तन्माहात्म्यम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उत्-छिद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; “completely cut off/removed”

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative adjective)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, sacred glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गतम्: gone, passed away
• गतम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; अत्र विधेय-भावः (predicative: “became/was”)

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

Speaker

Sūta (narrating the outcome)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Acaleśvara/Camatkārapura (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of commanded beings depart under Indra’s order and enact a ‘severing’ of the site’s fame—symbolized as cutting a scroll, extinguishing lamps, or veiling a radiant shrine with mist—so the world forgets.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge and holy-site fame can be forgotten due to adverse forces, implying the importance of preserving and re-teaching tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The māhātmya being suppressed pertains to Acaleśvara-kṣetra and its associated sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the suppression of a sacred site’s renown.