Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

कृतांजलिपुटो भूत्वा ततः प्रोवाच सादरम् । महेश्वरं समासाद्य यज्ञवाटसमाश्रितम्

Transliteration

kṛtāṃjalipuṭo bhūtvā tataḥ provāca sādaram | maheśvaraṃ samāsādya yajñavāṭasamāśritam

Translation

แล้วเขาประนมมือเป็นอัญชลีด้วยความเคารพ และกล่าวด้วยความนอบน้อม—เข้าไปเฝ้าพระมหेशวรผู้ประทับอยู่ในมณฑลพิธียัญญะ

Word by Word

• कृत: having made/done
• कृत: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिकरूपे समासपूर्वपदत्वेन अव्ययवत्; ‘कृत’ = done/made

• अञ्जलि-पुटः: (he) with folded hands
• अञ्जलि-पुटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अञ्जलेः पुटः); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; ‘folded hands’

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: भू-धातोः त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (क्त्वान्त/gerund); ‘having become’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् तसिल्-प्रत्ययः; ‘thereupon/then’ (adverb)

• प्रोवाच: spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्सभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; प्र-उपसर्गः; ‘said/spoke’

• सादरम्: respectfully
• सादरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम् (क्रियाविशेषणरूपे नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-आकारान्तं रूपम्); ‘respectfully’

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: सम्+आ उपसर्गपूर्वक सद्-धातोः ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-तुल्य अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund); ‘having approached’

• यज्ञ-वाट-समाश्रितम्: who had resorted to the sacrificial enclosure
• यज्ञ-वाट-समाश्रितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + वाट (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्-आ-√श्रि (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय
• Form: समासः: (यज्ञस्य वाटः) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘यज्ञवाट’; ततः ‘यज्ञवाटं समाश्रितः’ इति उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; समाश्रित = सम्+आ+श्रि धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (महेश्वरम् इति विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (within Sūta’s ongoing narration; action of Pitāmaha implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee/ritualist stands at the edge of a blazing yajña-kuṇḍa, hands folded in añjali, stepping toward Maheśvara seated/standing within the sacrificial enclosure; priests and implements surround the fire altar.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Yajñavāṭa
• Pitāmaha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma faces disruption, the proper response is humility and surrender—approaching the divine with reverence rather than agitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights the sanctity of the yajña-vāṭa as a sacred locus where Maheśvara is present; the exact tīrtha name is not stated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Añjali (hands joined in reverence) and respectful address to Maheśvara are indicated as devotional-ritual actions in the crisis.