Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

ततस्तस्य प्रभावेन स्वल्पैरेव दिनैर्द्विजाः । संप्राप्तः परमां सिद्धिं दुर्लभां याज्ञिकैरपि

Transliteration

tatastasya prabhāvena svalpaireva dinairdvijāḥ | saṃprāptaḥ paramāṃ siddhiṃ durlabhāṃ yājñikairapi

Translation

அப்போது அந்தத் தீர்த்தத்தின் மகிமையால், ஓ இருபிறப்பினரே, சில நாட்களிலேயே அவன் பரம சித்தியை அடைந்தான்; அது யாகங்களில் ஈடுபடும் யாஜகர்களுக்கும் அரிதானது.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter; from that
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = thereafter/from that

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive ‘of him/that’

• prabhāvena: by (his) power/influence
• prabhāvena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental ‘by/through influence’

• svalpaiḥ: with few
• svalpaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — instrumental plural; विशेषण of ‘dinaiḥ’

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — emphasis ‘indeed/only’

• dinaiḥ: in (a few) days
• dinaiḥ: Adhikarana (Time locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — instrumental ‘in/within days’

• dvijāḥ: Brahmins; twice-born
• dvijāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — vocative-like address possible; here nominative plural ‘Brahmins’

• saṃprāptaḥ: attained; reached
• saṃprāptaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam+√prāp (धातु) → saṃprāpta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/क्तवतु-भाव), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — past participle ‘having attained/attained’ (with implied ‘he’)

• paramām: supreme
• paramām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — विशेषण of ‘siddhim’

• siddhim: success; perfection; attainment
• siddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — object of attainment

• durlabhām: hard to obtain
• durlabhām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — विशेषण of ‘siddhim’

• yājñikaiḥ: by sacrificers/ritualists
• yājñikaiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yājñika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — instrumental ‘by ritualists’

• api: even; also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘even/also’

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalaśeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, newly arrived, stands before the Kalaśeśvara liṅga; within a short span his aura brightens, suggesting swift siddhi, while learned brāhmaṇas witness in wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Mahīpāla
• Dvijāḥ (sages/audience)
• Kalaśeśvara kṣetra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of a kṣetra and devotion there can grant swift realization beyond what mere ritual expertise typically achieves.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to the prabhāva (power) of the Kalaśeśvara sacred site/liṅga in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; it emphasizes the result (siddhi) arising from the site’s power and prior austerity.