Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तस्या एव समीपस्थं देवदेवं नलेश्वरम् । दृष्ट्वा विमुच्युते पापात्स्थापितं नलभूभुजा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tasyā eva samīpasthaṃ devadevaṃ naleśvaram | dṛṣṭvā vimucyute pāpātsthāpitaṃ nalabhūbhujā

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അതേ തീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ സമീപത്ത് നലരാജാവ് സ്ഥാപിച്ച ദേവദേവനായ നലേശ്വരൻ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. അവനെ ദർശിച്ചാൽ മാത്രം മനുഷ്യൻ പാപത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തനാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक

• समीपस्थम्: situated nearby
• समीपस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘समीपे स्थितम्’ qualifying ‘नलेश्वरम्’

• देवदेवम्: the god of gods
• देवदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘देवानां देवः’ (god of gods)

• नलेश्वरम्: Naleśvara
• नलेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘नलस्य ईश्वरः’ (Lord Naleśvara)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) ‘having seen’; अव्ययभाव

• विमुच्यते: is released
• विमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; is freed

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular

• स्थापितम्: installed
• स्थापितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → स्थापय (धातु) + क्त → स्थापित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP) qualifying ‘नलेश्वरम्’ = ‘installed’

• नलभूभुजा: by King Nala
• नलभूभुजा: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल (प्रातिपदिक) + भूभुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘नलः भूभुक्’ = Nala the king; Instrumental singular

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naleśvara (near the tīrtha in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva-liṅga shrine named Naleśvara stands near the tīrtha; King Nala is shown establishing it; pilgrims attain purification simply by beholding the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Naleśvara
• Nala
• Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In tīrtha māhātmya, even darśana (reverent seeing) of the deity is portrayed as a purifier that dissolves sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naleśvara, a Śiva-liṅga/temple near the described tīrtha within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act emphasized is darśana of Naleśvara; no additional rite is specified in this verse.