Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

रुंडमालावरां दिव्यां सखट्वांगां सपन्नगाम् । तां दृष्ट्वा स महीपालः सभार्यः प्रणतस्ततः

Transliteration

ruṃḍamālāvarāṃ divyāṃ sakhaṭvāṃgāṃ sapannagām | tāṃ dṛṣṭvā sa mahīpālaḥ sabhāryaḥ praṇatastataḥ

Translation

ครั้นทอดพระเนตรองค์ทิพย์นั้น—ผู้ทรงพวงมาลาศีรษะที่ถูกตัดอันประเสริฐ ทรงถือคทาขัฏวางคะ และมีนาคทั้งหลายติดตาม—พระมหีปาลราชาพร้อมพระมเหสีจึงก้มกราบลงโดยพลัน

Word by Word

• रुण्डमाला-वराम्: the excellent garland of heads
• रुण्डमाला-वराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुण्डमाला (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (fem. acc. sg.)

• दिव्याम्: divine
• दिव्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. acc. sg.)

• स-खट्वाङ्गाम्: with a khatvāṅga staff
• स-खट्वाङ्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थक/सह) + खट्वाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'खट्वाङ्गेन सह' इति सह-तत्पुरुषः (fem. acc. sg.)

• स-पन्नगाम्: accompanied by serpents
• स-पन्नगाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थक/सह) + पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'पन्नगैः सह' इति सह-तत्पुरुषः (fem. acc. sg.)

• ताम्: her/that (goddess/form)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (fem. acc. sg.)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (masc. nom. sg.)

• महीपालः: the king (protector of the earth)
• महीपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः 'महीपालः' (masc. nom. sg.)

• स-भार्यः: together with his wife
• स-भार्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थक/सह) + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'भार्यया सह' इति सह-तत्पुरुषः (masc. nom. sg.)

• प्रणतः: bowed down
• प्रणतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'प्रणतः' = bowed (masc. nom. sg.)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/अनुक्रम-बोधक (then/thereupon)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa to sages within Nāgarakhaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant yet fearsome divine figure appears: adorned with a splendid garland of severed heads, holding a khaṭvāṅga staff, serpents coiling as attendants; a king and queen stand before the deity, hands folded, bodies bent in full obeisance.

Characters & Entities

• mahīpāla (king)
• bhāryā (wife)
• khaṭvāṅga
• serpents (pannaga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True reverence is immediate surrender—darśana of the Divine, even in fierce form, calls forth humility and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Adhyāya 95’s tīrtha-māhātmya, the place is validated by a direct darśana event that transforms fear into worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prostration (praṇāma) is exemplified as the spontaneous devotional response; no formal rite is specified.