Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ततस्तेषामभिप्रायं ज्ञात्वा देवो महेश्वरः । भक्तिप्रीतो हितार्थाय कोटिरूपैर्व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

tatasteṣāmabhiprāyaṃ jñātvā devo maheśvaraḥ | bhaktiprīto hitārthāya koṭirūpairvyavasthitaḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଅଭିପ୍ରାୟ ଜାଣି, ଭକ୍ତିରେ ପ୍ରୀତ ଭଗବାନ ମହେଶ୍ୱର ସେମାନଙ୍କ ହିତାର୍ଥେ ନିଜକୁ କୋଟି ରୂପରେ ବ୍ୟବସ୍ଥିତ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = thereafter

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Gen. pl.)

• अभिप्रायम्: intention
• अभिप्रायम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhiprāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Masc., Acc. sg.)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jñā (धातु) → jñātvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) = having known

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masc., Nom. sg.)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः ‘महान् ईश्वरः’ = Maheśvara; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masc., Nom. sg.)

• भक्ति-प्रीतः: pleased by devotion
• भक्ति-प्रीतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + prīta (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः ‘भक्त्या प्रीतः’ = pleased by devotion; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Masc., Nom. sg.)

• हित-अर्थाय: for (their) welfare
• हित-अर्थाय: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hita (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः ‘हितस्य अर्थः’/‘हितार्थ’ = for welfare; चतुर्थी एकवचनम् (Dat. sg.)

• कोटि-रूपैः: by (assuming) countless forms
• कोटि-रूपैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः ‘कोटीनि रूपाणि’ (बहुवचनार्थे) = in myriad forms; नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम् (Neut., Instr. pl.)

• व्यवस्थितः: stood/was stationed
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ava-sthā (धातु) → vyavasthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; ‘स्थित’ = stationed/arranged (Masc., Nom. sg.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudrakoṭi (implied; named next verse)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśvara, discerning the crowd’s intent, radiates into innumerable identical forms—each serene, ash-smeared, trident-bearing—so every pilgrim can behold him at once.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace responds to devotion and resolves human conflict, showing the Lord’s compassion in sacred narratives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rudrakoṭi is implicitly established through Śiva’s manifestation in countless forms at the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the emphasis is on bhakti leading to darśana through the Lord’s compassionate self-manifestation.