Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा तत्पावनं क्षेत्रं तीर्थपूगप्रपूरितम् । आदित्यं स्थापयामास प्रासादे सुमनोहरे

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā tatpāvanaṃ kṣetraṃ tīrthapūgaprapūritam | ādityaṃ sthāpayāmāsa prāsāde sumanohare

Translation

ครั้นได้เห็นเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์อันชำระบาปนั้น ซึ่งพรั่งพร้อมด้วยหมู่ทิรถะอันเป็นมงคลมากมาย เขาจึงอัญเชิญและประดิษฐานพระอาทิตย์ (อาทิตยะ) ไว้ในปราสาทอันงดงามยิ่ง

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययभावकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having done/after seeing)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘क्षेत्रम्’)

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘क्षेत्रम्’)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तीर्थपूगप्रपूरितम्: filled with clusters of holy fords
• तीर्थपूगप्रपूरितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ + पूग + प्रपूरित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त ‘प्र-√पूर्/पूरय्’ से क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः): ‘तीर्थ-पूगैः प्रपूरितम्’ = filled with groups of tīrthas; विशेषण (to ‘क्षेत्रम्’)

• आदित्यम्: Āditya (Sun-deity)
• आदित्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्थापयामास: installed/caused to be set up
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापयति (णिच्) + आमास (परस्मैपद-परिप्रयोग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative): ‘caused to be placed/installed’

• प्रासादे: in the temple/palace
• प्रासादे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सुमनोहरे: in the very beautiful (temple)
• सुमनोहरे: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय): ‘सु-मनः-हरः’ = very charming; विशेषण (to ‘प्रासादे’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king/hero arrives at a luminous tīrtha-filled kṣetra and consecrates a radiant Āditya image within an elegant, charming prāsāda; surrounding are multiple water-bodies/ghāṭas and pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra
• Āditya (Sūrya)
• Tīrthas
• Temple (Prāsāda)
• Arjuna (implied by continuity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing a place’s sanctity leads to dharmic action—establishing worship (pratiṣṭhā) that benefits future pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, described as purifying and densely endowed with many tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā (installation) of Āditya in a temple—presented as a meritorious sacred act within the tīrtha narrative.