Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अथ शक्रं समालोक्य तत्राऽयांतं द्विजोत्तमाः । पूजितं चारणैः सिद्धैस्तैरदृष्टं कदाचन

Transliteration

atha śakraṃ samālokya tatrā'yāṃtaṃ dvijottamāḥ | pūjitaṃ cāraṇaiḥ siddhaistairadṛṣṭaṃ kadācana

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവിടെ എത്തിയ ശക്രനെ കണ്ടു ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദ്വിജന്മാർ വിസ്മയിച്ചു. ചാരണരും സിദ്ധരും പൂജിക്കുന്ന ആ ദേവനെ അവർ മുമ്പൊരിക്കലും കണ്ടിട്ടില്ലായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/thereupon
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• शक्रम्: Indra (Śakra)
• शक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आलोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; ‘having seen/after seeing’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• आयान्तम्: coming/approaching
• आयान्तम्: Karma (Object-apposition/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+या (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘coming’

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः)

• पूजितम्: worshipped/honoured
• पूजितम्: Karma (Object predicate/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(was) worshipped’ (agreeing with शक्रम्)

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

• आरणैः: by the Cāraṇas (celestial bards)
• आरणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• सिद्धैः: by the Siddhas (perfected beings)
• सिद्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana/Agent (by them/तैः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अदृष्टम्: unseen/not seen
• अदृष्टम्: Karma (Object predicate/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle with negation); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘unseen’ (agreeing with शक्रम्)

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal adverb/काल-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: ever/at any time)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage near a sacred water; Indra (Śakra) arrives in subtle radiance, attended invisibly/visibly by Cāraṇas and Siddhas; brāhmaṇas look on in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Dvijottamas (brāhmaṇas)
• Cāraṇas
• Siddhas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings are to be met with humility and wonder; darśana is framed as a sacred encounter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The āśrama precinct within the Himālaya tīrtha setting where divine visitation occurs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied pūjā/honouring of the guest (arhaṇa), developed explicitly in the following verses.