Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा महादेवस्ततश्चादर्शनं गतः । हंसोऽपि च गृहं गत्वा पुत्रानाप महोदयान्

Transliteration

evamuktvā mahādevastataścādarśanaṃ gataḥ | haṃso'pi ca gṛhaṃ gatvā putrānāpa mahodayān

Translation

ଏହିପରି କହି ମହାଦେବ ପରେ ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ ହେଲେ। ହଂସ ମଧ୍ୟ ଗୃହକୁ ଯାଇ ମହୋଦୟ ଓ ସମୃଦ୍ଧିଯୁକ୍ତ ପୁତ୍ରମାନଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କଲା।

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्/adverb): ‘एवम्’ = thus

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘उक्त्वा’ = having said

• mahādevaḥ: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• mahādevaḥ: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (‘महान् देवः’)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्/adverb): ‘ततः’ = then/from there

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction): ‘च’ = and

• adarśanam: disappearance (invisibility)
• adarśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘अदर्शन’ = disappearance/invisibility

• gataḥ: went
• gataḥ: Kriyā (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गतः’ = gone (used predicatively)

• haṃsaḥ: the swan
• haṃsaḥ: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि = also/even)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• gṛham: home
• gṛham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘गत्वा’ = having gone

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• āpa: obtained
• āpa: Kriyā (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘आप’ = obtained/reached

• mahodayān: greatly prosperous
• mahodayān: Karma (Object complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (‘महान् उदयः’ = great prosperity); विशेषणम् (putrān)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Sūta’s narration of the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahādeva, after speaking a boon, fades from sight in a radiant aura; Haṃsa, humbled and grateful, returns to his home where children of great fortune are born—suggesting a transition from sacred encounter to household prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Haṃsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya validates tīrtha-worship through narrative outcome: devotion culminates in tangible grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Nāgarakhaṇḍa liṅga-tīrtha whose worship is shown to be effective through Haṃsa’s result.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, the prior worship/japa at the liṅga; this verse records the resulting boon.