Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अथ सा प्राह तं देवं प्रणिपत्य महेश्वरम् । किमर्थं देव सृष्टास्मि ममादेशः प्रदीयताम्

Transliteration

atha sā prāha taṃ devaṃ praṇipatya maheśvaram | kimarthaṃ deva sṛṣṭāsmi mamādeśaḥ pradīyatām

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൾ മഹേശ്വര ദേവനെ പ്രണാമിച്ച് പറഞ്ഞു—“ദേവാ! എന്നെ ഏതു ലക്ഷ്യത്തിനായി സൃഷ്ടിച്ചു? ദയചെയ്ത് എനിക്ക് നിങ്ങളുടെ ആജ്ഞ നൽകണമേ।”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (she said)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Apposition to object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; तं इति सर्वनामस्य विशेष्य (appositive)

• प्रणिपत्य: having prostrated
• प्रणिपत्य: Kriyā (Absolutive subordinate action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नि + पत् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); “having bowed down”

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Apposition to object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/उपाधि

• किमर्थम्: for what purpose? why?
• किमर्थम्: Hetu (Reason query/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb: for what purpose/why)

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• सृष्टास्मि: am created
• सृष्टास्मि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + अस् (धातु)
• Form: सृष्टा = भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; अस्मि = लट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; समस्तरूपेण “I have been created”

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular: my)

• आदेशः: command, instruction
• आदेशः: Karta (Subject of passive imperative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• प्रदीयताम्: let (it) be given
• प्रदीयताम्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): “let it be given”

Speaker

Kanyakā (the manifested maiden)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame listener(s)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The white-clad maiden stands with folded hands, bowing to Maheśvara, her face earnest; Śiva remains composed in yogic majesty, receiving her question about purpose and command.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious power must be guided by dharma; the right course is to seek the Lord’s command and serve a sacred purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The command she seeks pertains to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and its revered Pādukās, within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse introduces the request for ādeśa; the detailed pūjā and mantra procedures are given in the following verses.