Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

एकदा हि स दक्षो वै नैमिषारण्यमागतः । यदृच्छावशमापन्न ऋषिभिः परिपूजितः

Transliteration

ekadā hi sa dakṣo vai naimiṣāraṇyamāgataḥ | yadṛcchāvaśamāpanna ṛṣibhiḥ paripūjitaḥ

Translation

ఒకసారి దక్షుడు నైమిషారణ్యానికి వచ్చాడు; యాదృచ్ఛికంగా వచ్చినట్టుగా అక్కడ చేరాడు. అక్కడ ఋషులు అతనిని విధివిధానాలతో పూజించారు.

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (once)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; emphasis

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

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वै: indeed, surely
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; emphasis/assurance

• नैमिषारण्यम्: Naimiṣa forest
• नैमिषारण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: ‘नैमिषम् अरण्यम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; destination

• आगतः: came
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used in active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘came’

• यदृच्छा: chance
• यदृच्छा: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘chance’ (in compound with अवश)

• अवशम्: into (a state of) compulsion
• अवशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘under control/compulsion’ (as object of ‘आपन्न’)

• आपन्नः: having come under
• आपन्नः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-पद् (धातु) → आपन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used in active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having fallen into/attained’

• ऋषिभिः: by the sages
• ऋषिभिः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• परिपूजितः: was duly worshipped/honored
• परिपूजितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-पूज् (धातु) → परिपूजित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘was duly honored’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ / Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa enters the sacred forest of Naimiṣa; sages rise to welcome him with offerings and respectful gestures; the atmosphere is orderly and ritual-pure, foreshadowing a later breach of etiquette elsewhere.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places like Naimiṣāraṇya are shown as meeting-grounds of sages and gods, where conduct (humility or pride) is tested.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣāraṇya is directly mentioned as the sacred forest where the episode unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse notes proper hospitality and honoring of an eminent guest.