Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

सोऽपि गत्वा धरापृष्ठं श्रावयामास सर्वतः । शिवरात्रेस्तु माहात्म्यं यदुक्तं शूलपाणिना

Transliteration

so'pi gatvā dharāpṛṣṭhaṃ śrāvayāmāsa sarvataḥ | śivarātrestu māhātmyaṃ yaduktaṃ śūlapāṇinā

Translation

அவனும் பூமியின் மேற்பரப்பிற்குச் சென்று, சூலபாணி (சிவன்) உரைத்தபடியே சிவராத்திரியின் மகிமையை எங்கும் அறிவித்தான்.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• धरापृष्ठम्: the surface of the earth
• धरापृष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धरायाः पृष्ठम्)

• श्रावयामास: made (people) hear; proclaimed
• श्रावयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) [णिच् causative: श्रावय]
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• सर्वतः: everywhere; on all sides
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), सर्वदिक्/सर्वत्र-अर्थे

• शिवरात्रेः: of Śivarātri
• शिवरात्रेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषणार्थे

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness; glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• उक्तम्: said; spoken
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शूलपाणिना: by Śiva (the trident-holder)
• शूलपाणिना: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलपाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivarātri (mahātmyam)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (typical frame; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada traverses towns, forests, and riverbanks, singing and teaching Śivarātri’s greatness; people gather—kings, householders, ascetics—listening with devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śiva (Śūlapāṇi)
• Śivarātri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authentic tradition is transmitted faithfully: the glory of vrata is taught as received from Śiva’s own words.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site; the emphasis is on universal proclamation across the earth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit instruction to publicize and teach the Śivarātri māhātmya as taught by Śiva.