Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तस्यांतर्गतमासीनमंगुष्ठाग्रमितं शुभम् । द्वादशार्कप्रभं सूक्ष्मं स्वमात्मानं व्यलोकयत्

Transliteration

tasyāṃtargatamāsīnamaṃguṣṭhāgramitaṃ śubham | dvādaśārkaprabhaṃ sūkṣmaṃ svamātmānaṃ vyalokayat

Translation

ประทับอยู่ภายในพระองค์เอง พระองค์ทอดพระเนตรอาตมันอันละเอียดของตน—เป็นมงคล เล็กเท่าปลายนิ้วหัวแม่มือ และรุ่งโรจน์ดุจรัศมีแห่งสุริยะสิบสองดวง

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular: “of him”)

• अन्तर्गतम्: entered within, internal
• अन्तर्गतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर् (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (अन्तर् + गत = भीतर गया/स्थित); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; आत्मानं विशेषयति

• आसीनम्: seated
• आसीनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; “seated” (agreeing with ātmānam by sense)

• अङ्गुष्ठाग्रमितम्: measured by the tip of a thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठाग्रमितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (अङ्गुष्ठस्य अग्रेण मितम् = measured by the tip of the thumb); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; आत्मानं विशेषयति

• द्वादशार्कप्रभम्: having the radiance of twelve suns
• द्वादशार्कप्रभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (द्वादशानाम् अर्काणां प्रभा इव/प्रभा यस्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सूक्ष्मम्: subtle
• सूक्ष्मम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्वम्: his own
• स्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; आत्मानं विशेषयति (one’s own)

• आत्मानम्: Self, soul
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• व्यलोकयत्: he beheld, observed
• व्यलोकयत्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience within the frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary interior: within the heart-lotus sits a minute, auspicious, thumb-tip-sized luminous presence, blazing like twelve suns—symbolic rather than literal, suggesting concentrated radiance.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True pilgrimage is completed by inner pilgrimage—through meditation one realizes the subtle, radiant Self within.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider passage belongs to the Tīrthamāhātmya of Nāgarakhaṇḍa and leads into the glory of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and its sacred Pādukās.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

This verse itself describes meditative realization (dhyāna/ātma-darśana), serving as the spiritual basis for subsequent worship instructions.