Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

ततोऽवधारितं चित्ते मया ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः । पूजयामि महाकालं पद्मैरेतैः सुरेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tato'vadhāritaṃ citte mayā brāhmaṇasattamāḥ | pūjayāmi mahākālaṃ padmairetaiḥ sureśvaram

Translation

അപ്പോൾ, ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ, ഞാൻ മനസ്സിൽ നിശ്ചയിച്ചു—“ഈ താമരകളാൽ ദേവേശ്വരനായ മഹാകാലനെ ഞാൻ പൂജിക്കും.”

Word by Word

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

• अवधारितम्: decided, resolved
• अवधारितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + धृ (धातु) → अवधारित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• चित्ते: in (my) mind
• चित्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (Locative); एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया; एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः: O best of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्राह्मणानां सत्तमाः); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन/प्रथमा; बहुवचन (contextually vocative address)

• पूजयामि: I worship
• पूजयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्; परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• पद्मैः: with lotuses
• पद्मैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन

• एतैः: with these
• एतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (पद्मैः)

• सुरेश्वरम्: the Lord of the gods
• सुरेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सुराणाम् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; महाकालम् इति कर्मस्य अपि विशेषण-सम्बन्ध (appositional)

Speaker

Deductive: the same householder/devotee addressing brāhmaṇas/sages in the narrative frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (Mahākāleśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience of brāhmaṇas/sages within the kathā frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim, holding freshly obtained lotuses, inwardly resolves to worship Mahākāla; the temple sanctum glows with lamps as he approaches the deity with focused reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Padma (lotus)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saṅkalpa (firm inner resolve) sanctifies action; heartfelt intention to worship Mahākāla is highlighted as spiritually potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s worship is central; the verse functions within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative though it does not specify the location explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (pūjā) of Mahākāla using padma (lotus) offerings.