Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

इमे मत्पादुके दिव्ये गुहामध्यगते सदा । सर्वाभिः सेवनीये च न गन्तव्यं बहिः क्वचित्

Transliteration

ime matpāduke divye guhāmadhyagate sadā | sarvābhiḥ sevanīye ca na gantavyaṃ bahiḥ kvacit

Translation

എന്റെ ഈ ദിവ്യ പാദുകകൾ സദാ ഗുഹയുടെ മദ്ധ്യസ്ഥ ഹൃദയത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു। എല്ലാവരും ഇവയെ സേവിച്ചു പൂജിക്കണം; ഇവിടെ നിന്ന് പുറത്തേക്ക് എവിടെയും പോകരുത്।

Word by Word

• इमे: these
• इमे: Anvaya (Deictic/निर्देशक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनार्थे (genitive sense), अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद (my)

• पादुके: two sandals
• पादुके: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादुका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

• दिव्ये: divine
• दिव्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; पादुके-विशेषण

• गुहा: of the cave
• गुहा: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपद

• मध्यगते: situated in the cave’s middle
• मध्यगते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (√गम्; धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; ‘मध्यं गते’ इति (situated in the middle)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• सर्वाभिः: by all (of them)
• सर्वाभिः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘सर्वाभिः (देवताभिः/स्त्रीभिः)’ इत्यर्थे

• सेवनीये: to be served
• सेवनीये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √सेव् (सेव्; धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (अनीयर्/तव्यत्-अर्थक; gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; पादुके-विशेषण; ‘to be served/worshipped’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• गन्तव्यम्: one must go / should go
• गन्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (गम्; धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्; gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘it is to be gone’ (must go)

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• क्वचित्: anywhere
• क्वचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Ambā (Devī/Mother Goddess)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a dim, sanctified cave: a small pedestal holds radiant divine pādukās; devotees offer lamps and flowers; the cave walls glow with reflected light; the sense is intimate and inward.

Characters & Entities

• Ambā (Devī)
• pādukā (divine sandals)
• guhā (cave)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast devotion at the sacred locus (the cave-shrine) is praised; the pādukā becomes the focal icon of grace and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A cave-centered tīrtha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, marked by the perpetual presence of the Devī’s divine pādukā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous sevā (service/reverence) of the divine pādukā and remaining within the sanctified cave precinct.