Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

ततो गोकर्णमासाद्य प्रणम्य च महेश्वरम् । प्रतस्थे राघवो यावत्सौमित्रिस्तावदागतः

Transliteration

tato gokarṇamāsādya praṇamya ca maheśvaram | pratasthe rāghavo yāvatsaumitristāvadāgataḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ଗୋକର୍ଣ୍ଣକୁ ପହଞ୍ଚି ମହେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରଣାମ କରି ରାଘବ ଆଗକୁ ପ୍ରସ୍ଥାନ କଲେ; ସେତେବେଳେ ସୌମିତ୍ରି (ଲକ୍ଷ୍ମଣ) ମଧ୍ୟ ଆସି ପହଞ୍ଚିଲେ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — तस्मात्/ततः = ‘thereupon, then’

• गोकर्णम्: Gokarṇa (place)
• गोकर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—गो + कर्ण (तत्पुरुष, संज्ञा-स्थाननाम)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having reached/approached’

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having bowed’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) — ‘and’

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—महा + ईश्वर (तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः, ‘great lord’)

• प्रतस्थे: departed
• प्रतस्थे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘set out/departed’

• राघवः: Rāghava (Rāma)
• राघवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/अवधि-बोधक) — ‘as long as / until’

• सौमित्रिः: Saumitrī (Lakṣmaṇa)
• सौमित्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौमित्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• तावत्: by then, meanwhile
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal correlate)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/अवधि-बोधक) — ‘so long/just then’

• आगतः: arrived
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘having come/arrived’

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma arrives at the coastal sacred town of Gokarṇa, folds hands and bows to Maheśvara; the path continues as Lakṣmaṇa approaches from behind, suggesting reunion amid pilgrimage momentum.

Characters & Entities

• Gokarṇa
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Lakṣmaṇa (Saumitrī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage culminates in humble darśana—bowing to Śiva (Maheśvara) purifies and reorients the traveler toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokarṇa tīrtha/kṣetra, renowned for Maheśvara’s presence and worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (reverential bowing/prostration) to Maheśvara upon reaching the tīrtha.