Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

गालव उवाच । शक्रादयस्तु देवेशा दुःखसंतप्तमानसाः । ईश्वरादर्शनभ्रांतमनः कर्मेंद्रिया रतिम्

Transliteration

gālava uvāca | śakrādayastu deveśā duḥkhasaṃtaptamānasāḥ | īśvarādarśanabhrāṃtamanaḥ karmeṃdriyā ratim

Translation

ଗାଲବ କହିଲେ—ଶକ୍ର ଆଦି ଦେବେଶମାନଙ୍କ ମନ ଦୁଃଖରେ ଦଗ୍ଧ ଥିଲା; ଈଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କ ଦର୍ଶନ ନ ମିଳିବାରୁ ଚିତ୍ତ ଭ୍ରାନ୍ତ ହୋଇ, ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟକର୍ମରେ ସେମାନେ କୌଣସି ରତି ପାଇଲେ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• gālavaḥ: Gālava
• gālavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gālava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śakra-ādayaḥ: Śakra and others
• śakra-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शक्रः आदिः येषाम्)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• deveśāḥ: lords of the gods
• deveśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• duḥkha-saṃtapta-mānasāḥ: whose minds were scorched by sorrow
• duḥkha-saṃtapta-mānasāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃtapta (कृदन्त; saṃ-√tap धातु) + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दुःखेन संतप्तं मानसं येषाम्)

• īśvara-adarśana-bhrānta-manaḥ: a mind bewildered due to not seeing the Lord
• īśvara-adarśana-bhrānta-manaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + adarśana (प्रातिपदिक) + bhrānta (कृदन्त; √bhram धातु) + manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (ईश्वरस्य अदर्शनात् भ्रान्तं मनः)

• karma-indriyāḥ: the organs of action
• karma-indriyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणाम् इन्द्रियाणि)

• ratim: delight/attachment
• ratim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra and the devas stand subdued and sorrowful, their ornaments dim, gazing toward an unseen Śiva; the atmosphere is heavy with longing, senses withdrawn, hands folded in anxious devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Gālava
• Śakra
• Indra
• Devas
• Īśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without īśvara-darśana, worldly enjoyments lose their taste; devotion reframes desire into longing for the Divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative setting of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa, where Śiva’s presence and sacred locales are central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it describes the devotional psychology that often underlies vrata, tapas, and pilgrimage.