Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन महता तस्य तुष्टः पिनाकधृक् । तं प्राह वरदोऽस्मीति वद शक्र करोमि किम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena mahatā tasya tuṣṭaḥ pinākadhṛk | taṃ prāha varado'smīti vada śakra karomi kim

Translation

പിന്നെ ദീർഘകാലം കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ പിനാകധാരിയായ ഭഗവാൻ ശിവൻ അവനിൽ പ്രസന്നനായി പറഞ്ഞു—“ഞാൻ വരദാതാവാണ്; ഹേ ശക്രാ, പറയുക, നിനക്കായി ഞാൻ എന്ത് ചെയ്യണം?”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Kālādhi-karaṇa (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ततो (thereafter)

• kālena: with time; after (some) time
• kālena: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• mahatā: great/long
• mahatā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘महता’ (great/long) kālena इति विशेषण

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased
• tuṣṭaḥ: Karta (as qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tuṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pinākadhṛk: the bearer of Pināka (Śiva)
• pinākadhṛk: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pināka (प्रातिपदिक) + dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्विप्/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘धृक्’ (bearer); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य पिनाकं सः’ (Śiva)

• tam: to him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• varadaḥ: the boon-giver
• varadaḥ: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + da (धातु/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वरं ददाति’ इति (giver of boons)

• asmi: I am
• asmi: Kriyā (within quoted speech)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति (quotative particle)

• vada: tell/say
• vada: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śakra: O Śakra
• śakra: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• karomi: I do / shall I do
• karomi: Kriyā (within question)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Interrogative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा (Acc./Nom. used interrogatively), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Pinākadhṛk)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Pinākadhṛk) seated in serene majesty, trident and bow implied, addressing Indra with a compassionate yet sovereign gaze; the moment of boon-offer is the focal gesture (abhaya/varada).

Characters & Entities

• Pinākadhṛk (Śiva)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Pināka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady devotion matures into divine grace; the Lord responds as ‘varada’ when worship is sincere and sustained.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a dialogue scene within the larger Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it implies prolonged worship/propitiation leading to Śiva’s satisfaction.