Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तत्र सिद्धिं गताः पूर्वं शतशः पुरुषा भुवि । दर्शनात्स्पर्शनाच्चान्ये प्रणामादपरे नराः

Transliteration

tatra siddhiṃ gatāḥ pūrvaṃ śataśaḥ puruṣā bhuvi | darśanātsparśanāccānye praṇāmādapare narāḥ

Translation

وہاں قدیم زمانوں میں زمین پر سینکڑوں مردوں نے سدھی حاصل کی؛ بعض نے محض درشن اور لمس سے، اور بعض نے سادہ پرنام (سجدۂ تعظیم) سے۔

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

• siddhim: success/perfection
• siddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• gatāḥ: having attained
• gatāḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'formerly/earlier')

• śataśaḥ: by hundreds
• śataśaḥ: Saṅkhyā/Parimāṇa (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śataśas (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb: 'by hundreds')

• puruṣāḥ: men
• puruṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• bhuvi: on earth
• bhuvi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक: bhūmi)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• darśanāt: from seeing / by the sight
• darśanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• sparśanāt: from touching / by the touch
• sparśanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• praṇāmāt: from bowing / by prostration
• praṇāmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• apare: others (different ones)
• apare: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• narāḥ: men
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like depiction: groups of pilgrims across time—some merely gazing, some touching the sacred emblem, others fully prostrating—while subtle siddhi signs (radiance, calm faces, ascetic aura) appear.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhi
• Siddheśvara (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple acts—seeing, touching, bowing—become powerful when performed at a sanctified tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Siddheśvara/Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra locus described in Adhyāya 29.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana, sparśa, and praṇāma are presented as effective devotional practices.