Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

समागम्याथ मां प्रोचुर्नारद व्रियतां वरः । प्रोक्तं तानार्च्य च मया क्रियतां स्थानरक्षणम्

Transliteration

samāgamyātha māṃ procurnārada vriyatāṃ varaḥ | proktaṃ tānārcya ca mayā kriyatāṃ sthānarakṣaṇam

Translation

แล้วพระองค์ทั้งสามเสด็จมาหาเรา ตรัสว่า: “โอ้นารท จงเลือกพรเถิด” ครั้นเรานอบน้อมบูชาแล้วจึงทูลว่า: “ขอให้มีการคุ้มครองสถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์นี้ให้มั่นคง”

Word by Word

• samāgamya: having come together
• samāgamya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam+ā+gam (धातु) → samāgamya (कृदन्त; ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः; क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• procuḥ: said
• procuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• nārada: O Nārada
• nārada: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• vriyatām: let (it) be chosen
• vriyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive imperative)

• varaḥ: a boon
• varaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (subject)

• proktam: it was said
• proktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra+vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (that which was said)

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• ārcya: having worshipped
• ārcya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: arc (धातु) → arcya (कृदन्त; ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

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

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृ (agent)

• kriyatām: let it be done
• kriyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive imperative)

• sthānarakṣaṇam: protection of the place
• sthānarakṣaṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna-rakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; स्थान + रक्षण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (subject of kriyatām)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator addressing Nārada (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śālā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Trimūrti approach Nārada and offer a boon; Nārada, after respectful worship, requests protection of the sacred place. The scene shows divine figures descending, Nārada in añjali, and a luminous boundary around the kṣetra indicating divine safeguarding.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest boon sought by the righteous is the safeguarding of dharma—here expressed as protection of a sacred place and its order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse references a “sthāna” (holy station) without naming it; the adhyāya context supplies the particular locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Honoring the deities (arcana) and formally requesting “sthānarakṣaṇam” (protection of the sacred precinct).