Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अधुनाहं गमिष्यामि स्वराज्याय कृते द्विजाः । निषधां च पुरीमेष सर्वैः पूज्यः समाहितैः

Transliteration

adhunāhaṃ gamiṣyāmi svarājyāya kṛte dvijāḥ | niṣadhāṃ ca purīmeṣa sarvaiḥ pūjyaḥ samāhitaiḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ! ഇനി ഞാൻ എന്റെ രാജ്യകാര്യത്തിനായി പുറപ്പെടുന്നു. നിഷധാപുരിയിൽ ഉള്ള ഈ പ്രഭുവിനെ എല്ലാവരും ഏകാഗ്രചിത്തത്തോടെ പൂജിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गमिष्यामि: will go
• गमिष्यामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• स्व-राज्याय: for (my) own kingdom
• स्व-राज्याय: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (स्वं राज्यं)

• कृते: for the sake of
• कृते: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (हेतोः/अर्थे), ‘for the sake of’ अर्थे; सप्तमी-तत्प्रयोगवत्

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), बहुवचन

• निषधाम्: Niṣadhā (name of a city/region)
• निषधाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पूज्यः: worthy of worship
• पूज्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/तव्यत्-भावार्थक; ‘worthy to be worshipped’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• समाहितैः: by the attentive/collected (ones)
• समाहितैः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्-आ-धा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण (collected/attentive)

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests the king addressing brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Niṣadhā-purī Śambhu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ruler prepares to depart for his kingdom, entrusting the brāhmaṇas and citizens with the ongoing worship of Śambhu in Niṣadhā; the shrine stands as a civic-spiritual anchor.

Characters & Entities

• Niṣadhā
• Śiva (implied as the deity to be worshipped)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even while pursuing worldly responsibilities, one should establish and maintain steadfast worship of the local deity for the welfare of the land.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Niṣadhā city within the Naleśvara/Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular pūjā of the deity with a composed and attentive mind (samāhita).