Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

ततश्चायतने तस्मिन्प्राप्तोऽहं मुनिपुंगवाः । अपश्यं देवदेवेशं महाकालं प्रपूजितम् । अग्रस्थितैर्द्विजश्रेष्ठैर्जपगीतपरायणैः

Transliteration

tataścāyatane tasminprāpto'haṃ munipuṃgavāḥ | apaśyaṃ devadeveśaṃ mahākālaṃ prapūjitam | agrasthitairdvijaśreṣṭhairjapagītaparāyaṇaiḥ

Translation

ครั้นไปถึงสำนักศักดิ์สิทธิ์นั้น โอ้มหามุนี ข้าพเจ้าได้เห็นพระมหากาล—องค์เป็นเจ้าเหนือเทพทั้งปวง—ทรงได้รับการบูชาตามพิธี; เบื้องหน้ามีพราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐยืนอยู่ มุ่งมั่นในชปะและบทสวดขับร้องศักดิ์สิทธิ์

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरं (then)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• आयतने: in the shrine/abode
• आयतने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (in that)

• प्राप्तः: arrived
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘arrived’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• मुनिपुंगवः: a foremost sage
• मुनिपुंगवः: Karta (Apposition to ‘I’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; (मुनिः एव पुंगवः) कर्मधारय; आत्मोपाधि/विशेषणवत्

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• अपश्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् लकार (Imperfect/Past); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवदेवेशम्: Lord of the gods
• देवदेवेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; (देवानां देवः, तस्य ईशः) बहु-षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्ध

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् कालः)

• प्रपूजितम्: well-worshipped
• प्रपूजितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-पूज् (धातु) → प्रपूजित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘well-worshipped’ (देवदेवेशं/महाकालं विशेषयति)

• अग्रस्थितैः: by those standing in front
• अग्रस्थितैः: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (अग्रे स्थित) सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष; ‘by those standing in front’

• द्विजश्रेष्ठैः: by the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठैः: Karana (Agent group/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठाः द्विजाः)

• जपगीतपरायणैः: by those devoted to japa and singing
• जपगीतपरायणैः: Karana (Agent qualifier/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (जपः च गीतं च) द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद + परायण (निष्ठ/समर्पित) बहुव्रीहिवत् विशेषणार्थः

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (addressing sages; likely within a framed dialogue in Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (Mahākāleśvara) kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘munipuṅgava’ (foremost sage) explicitly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a lamp-lit sanctuary, Mahākāla is seen richly worshipped; in the foreground stand eminent brāhmaṇas chanting japa and singing sacred hymns.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)
• Japa
• Gīta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True refuge is found in Mahākāla: communal worship, mantra-japa, and kīrtana transform the devotee’s life and destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Mahākāla āyatana (sanctuary/shrine) is the focal sacred site in this passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (mantra repetition) and gīta (devotional singing) performed in a temple setting as part of worship and vigil.