Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा तत्पावनं क्षेत्रं तीर्थपूगप्रपूरितम् । आदित्यं स्थापयामास प्रासादे सुमनोहरे

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā tatpāvanaṃ kṣetraṃ tīrthapūgaprapūritam | ādityaṃ sthāpayāmāsa prāsāde sumanohare

Translation

Melihat wilayah suci yang menyucikan itu, dipenuhi himpunan tīrtha yang banyak, baginda menegakkan Āditya (Dewa Surya) di sebuah prasada yang amat indah dan menawan hati.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययभावकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having done/after seeing)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘क्षेत्रम्’)

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘क्षेत्रम्’)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तीर्थपूगप्रपूरितम्: filled with clusters of holy fords
• तीर्थपूगप्रपूरितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ + पूग + प्रपूरित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त ‘प्र-√पूर्/पूरय्’ से क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः): ‘तीर्थ-पूगैः प्रपूरितम्’ = filled with groups of tīrthas; विशेषण (to ‘क्षेत्रम्’)

• आदित्यम्: Āditya (Sun-deity)
• आदित्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्थापयामास: installed/caused to be set up
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापयति (णिच्) + आमास (परस्मैपद-परिप्रयोग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative): ‘caused to be placed/installed’

• प्रासादे: in the temple/palace
• प्रासादे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सुमनोहरे: in the very beautiful (temple)
• सुमनोहरे: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय): ‘सु-मनः-हरः’ = very charming; विशेषण (to ‘प्रासादे’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king/hero arrives at a luminous tīrtha-filled kṣetra and consecrates a radiant Āditya image within an elegant, charming prāsāda; surrounding are multiple water-bodies/ghāṭas and pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra
• Āditya (Sūrya)
• Tīrthas
• Temple (Prāsāda)
• Arjuna (implied by continuity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing a place’s sanctity leads to dharmic action—establishing worship (pratiṣṭhā) that benefits future pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, described as purifying and densely endowed with many tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā (installation) of Āditya in a temple—presented as a meritorious sacred act within the tīrtha narrative.