Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

गरुडः पक्षिणां यद्वन्नदीनां सागरो यथा । प्रधानः सर्वधर्माणां शिवरात्रिस्तथोत्तमा

Transliteration

garuḍaḥ pakṣiṇāṃ yadvannadīnāṃ sāgaro yathā | pradhānaḥ sarvadharmāṇāṃ śivarātristathottamā

Translation

जसा पक्ष्यांमध्ये गरुड श्रेष्ठ आणि नद्यांमध्ये सागर प्रधान, तशीच सर्व धर्मांमध्ये शिवरात्रि परम व सर्वोत्तम आहे।

Word by Word

• garuḍaḥ: Garuḍa
• garuḍaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pakṣiṇām: of birds
• pakṣiṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• yadvat: just as
• yadvat: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (comparative particle: 'just as')

• nadīnām: of rivers
• nadīnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• sāgaraḥ: ocean
• sāgaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (as/like)

• pradhānaḥ: chief
• pradhānaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• sarva-dharmāṇām: of all dharmas
• sarva-dharmāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (of all dharmas)

• śivarātriḥ: Śivarātri
• śivarātriḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivarātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb: 'so/likewise')

• uttamā: supreme
• uttamā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

Speaker

Narrative voice within the Māhātmya (contextual; not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (chapter context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta / assembly including a king (context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: Garuḍa soaring above other birds; the ocean receiving rivers; a central Śiva-liṅga with devotees keeping night vigil—visually asserting Śivarātri’s supremacy.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among religious duties, Śivarātri is elevated as a premier practice due to its exceptional merit and Śiva-centered devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The immediate focus is the greatness of Śivarātri within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No procedural details are listed; the verse ranks Śivarātri as the chief dharma, implying its observance.