Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

चैत्रशुक्लचतुर्दश्यां भगवाञ्छशिशेखरः । गन्तुं चित्रेश्वरे पीठे गणै रौद्रैः समावृतः । योगिनीभिः प्रचण्डाभिः सार्धं प्राप्ते निशामुखे

Transliteration

caitraśuklacaturdaśyāṃ bhagavāñchaśiśekharaḥ | gantuṃ citreśvare pīṭhe gaṇai raudraiḥ samāvṛtaḥ | yoginībhiḥ pracaṇḍābhiḥ sārdhaṃ prāpte niśāmukhe

Translation

ചൈത്ര ശുക്ല ചതുര്ദശിയിൽ ഭഗവാൻ ശശിശേഖരൻ (ശിവൻ) രൗദ്ര ഗണങ്ങളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ട്, പ്രചണ്ഡ യോഗിനികളോടൊപ്പം, രാത്രി ആരംഭിക്കുമ്പോൾ ചിത്രേശ്വര പീഠത്തിലേക്ക് പുറപ്പെട്ടു അവിടെ എത്തി.

Word by Word

• चैत्रशुक्लचतुर्दश्याम्: on the 14th day of the bright fortnight of Caitra
• चैत्रशुक्लचतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः (चैत्रस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य चतुर्दशी)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शशिशेखरः: Śaśiśekhara (moon-crested Śiva)
• शशिशेखरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशि (प्रातिपदिक) + शेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शशिः शेखरः यस्य) — शिवस्य नाम

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), ‘to go’

• चित्रेश्वरे: at Cিত্রेश्वर (place/Śiva shrine)
• चित्रेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पीठे: on the seat/holy pedestal
• पीठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गणैः: with the attendants (gaṇas)
• गणैः: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• रौद्रैः: fierce
• रौद्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (गणैः इति)

• समावृतः: surrounded
• समावृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘surrounded’

• योगिनीभिः: with yoginīs
• योगिनीभिः: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रचण्डाभिः: very fierce
• प्रचण्डाभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रचण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (योगिनीभिः इति)

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक-अव्यय

• प्राप्ते: when it had arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग सप्तमी-एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute) — ‘when (it) had arrived’

• निशामुखे: at the beginning of night
• निशामुखे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निशायाः मुखम् = beginning of night)

Speaker

Narrator (Śaiva māhātmya description)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citreśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-group (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At nightfall on Caitra bright caturdaśī, Śiva (moon-crested) proceeds to Citreśvara-pīṭha, surrounded by fierce gaṇas and accompanied by formidable yoginīs; torches, drums, and a charged sacred night atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Chaśiśekhara)
• Citreśvara
• gaṇas
• Yoginīs
• Caitra Śukla Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra is sanctified by Śiva’s own movement and presence; sacred time (Caturdaśī) and sacred place (pīṭha) converge for spiritual potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Citreśvara Pīṭha (a Śaiva sacred seat) within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An auspicious sacred date is indicated—Caitra Śukla Caturdaśī—implying heightened merit for Śaiva worship, night-vigil, and pilgrimage to the pīṭha.