Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

गर्भवासात्ततो योगं समाश्रित्य शिवं व्रज । तस्माद्दर्शय मे वक्त्रं स्वकीयं येन मे भवेत् । आनृण्यं पितृलोकस्य तव वक्त्रस्य दर्शनात्

Transliteration

garbhavāsāttato yogaṃ samāśritya śivaṃ vraja | tasmāddarśaya me vaktraṃ svakīyaṃ yena me bhavet | ānṛṇyaṃ pitṛlokasya tava vaktrasya darśanāt

Translation

ഗർഭവാസം വിട്ട് പിന്നെ യോഗം ആശ്രയിച്ച് ശിവനെ പ്രാപിക്ക. അതിനാൽ നിന്റെ സ്വന്തം മുഖം എനിക്ക് കാണിക്കൂ; നിന്റെ മുഖദർശനത്താൽ പിതൃലോകത്തിന്റെ കടത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഞാൻ കടമുക്തനാകട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• गर्भवासात्: from (the) dwelling in the womb
• गर्भवासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ-वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गर्भस्य वासः)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• योगम्: yoga; discipline
• योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाश्रित्य: having resorted to; taking refuge in
• समाश्रित्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातुः—श्रि (to resort), उपसर्गाः—सम्+आ

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्रज: go
• व्रज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दर्शय: show
• दर्शय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative) अर्थः—दर्शयति (to show)

• मे: to me; for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• वक्त्रम्: face; mouth
• वक्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्वकीयम्: your own
• स्वकीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वकीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वक्त्रम्)

• येन: by which; whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे/हेतौ (by which/whereby)

• मे: for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक

• भवेत्: may become; may be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आनृण्यम्: freedom from debt; discharge of obligation
• आनृण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनृण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state-noun)

• पितृलोकस्य: of the world of the ancestors
• पितृलोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ-लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पितॄणां लोकः)

• तव: of you; your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वक्त्रस्य: of (your) face
• वक्त्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दर्शनात्: from seeing; because of the sight
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard Sūta frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a subtle, womb-like cosmic chamber: a luminous ‘garbha’ consciousness pleads for a vision (vaktra-darśana) that will dissolve ancestral debt; the atmosphere is intimate, dim, and sacred, with a hint of yogic radiance leading toward Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pitṛloka
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It links embodied life to dharma: one should emerge, practice yoga, seek Śiva, and also honor ancestral obligations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named site appears in this verse; the emphasis is on yoga, Śiva, and pitṛ-dharma within the māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, fulfilling pitṛ-obligations (pitṛṛṇa) through proper conduct and reverence; no specific rite (śrāddha, tarpaṇa) is stated here.