Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन महता तुष्टस्तस्य महेश्वरः । प्रोवाच दर्शनं गत्वा प्रार्थयस्व यथेप्सितम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena mahatā tuṣṭastasya maheśvaraḥ | provāca darśanaṃ gatvā prārthayasva yathepsitam

Translation

ବହୁ କାଳ ପରେ ମହେଶ୍ୱର ତାହାରେ ପ୍ରସନ୍ନ ହେଲେ। ଦର୍ଶନ ଦେଇ କହିଲେ—“ଯାହା ଇଚ୍ଛା, ସେହି ବର ମାଗ।”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): ‘thereafter/then’

• कालेन: by/after (some) time
• कालेन: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; instrumental of time (‘by/after time’)

• महता: great, long
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘कालेन’

• तुष्टः: pleased, satisfied
• तुष्टः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣṭa (कृदन्त; √tuṣ तुष्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate adjective

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; genitive ‘of him’

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समास: महा-ईश्वर (great lord)

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दर्शनम्: a sight; audience; vision
• दर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; object of ‘गत्वा’ (having gone to see)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having gone’

• प्रार्थयस्व: ask, request
• प्रार्थयस्व: Kriya (Injunction/आज्ञार्थक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √arth (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable): manner/comparison ‘as, according to’

• ईप्सितम्: desired, wished-for
• ईप्सितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īpsita (कृदन्त; √āp/īps? desiderative sense)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त/विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘desired’ qualifying an implied object (‘what is desired’)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating Śiva’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura (contextual tīrtha/settlement)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After long austerity, Maheśvara appears in a luminous vision before the devotee, calm and compassionate, inviting him to ask a boon.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady austerity ripens into divine favor; the Lord responds when devotion becomes mature and unwavering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode supports the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya, where worship and tapas culminate in Śiva’s darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights the fruit of sustained worship and austerity—Śiva’s boon-granting appearance.