Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

ततः शिवं समाराध्य तपः कृत्वा यथोचितम् । सशरीरौ दिवं प्राप्तौ तत्प्रभावाद्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tataḥ śivaṃ samārādhya tapaḥ kṛtvā yathocitam | saśarīrau divaṃ prāptau tatprabhāvādvijottamāḥ

Translation

പിന്നീട് ശിവനെ യഥാവിധി ആരാധിച്ച്, നിർദ്ദേശപ്രകാരം തപസ്സു ചെയ്ത്, അതിന്റെ പ്രഭാവത്താൽ ആ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദ്വിജർ ശരീരസഹിതം സ്വർഗ്ഗം പ്രാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/अनन्तर)

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

• समाराध्य: having worshipped
• समाराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), सम्+आ+√राध् (आराधने); ‘having worshipped/propitiated’

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), √कृ (करणे); ‘having done’

• यथोचितम्: as appropriate
• यथोचितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā+ucita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषण) = as is proper

• सशरीरौ: with their bodies
• सशरीरौ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa+śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; अव्ययीभाव/उपपद-समास ‘स-शरीर’ = with body; कर्तृपदस्य विशेषण

• दिवम्: to heaven
• दिवम्: Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म

• प्राप्तौ: attained
• प्राप्तौ: Kriya (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), प्र+√आप् (प्राप्तौ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘having attained/reached’ (predicate participle)

• तत्प्रभावात्: due to that power/effect
• तत्प्रभावात्: Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad+prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; समास: तस्य प्रभावः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); अपादानार्थे = ablative (because of)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: excellent brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Apposition/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija+uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: द्विजाः उत्तमाः = best of brahmins (used as honorific for the two)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The two brāhmaṇas, radiant from austerity, stand before a Śiva liṅga; a beam of light or celestial chariot descends; they ascend skyward with their bodies, while the shrine glows with supernatural brilliance.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• tapas
• diva (heaven)
• dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper worship of Śiva combined with disciplined tapas in a holy kṣetra yields extraordinary spiritual fruition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śaiva kṣetra previously described (connected with Hāṭakeśvara and its boundary-liṅga), whose inherent power grants exalted results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-ārādhana (devotional worship) and yathocita tapas (austerity according to rule).