Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

नारदादुत्तरे भागे सर्वे नागाः प्रहर्षिताः । नारदीये सरःश्रेष्ठे यः स्नात्वा पूजयेद्धरम्

Transliteration

nāradāduttare bhāge sarve nāgāḥ praharṣitāḥ | nāradīye saraḥśreṣṭhe yaḥ snātvā pūjayeddharam

Translation

Về phía bắc nơi gắn với Nārada, tất cả các Nāga đều hân hoan. Ai tắm trong hồ thượng diệu mang tên Nāradīya rồi sau đó lễ bái Hara (Śiva)…

Word by Word

• nāradāt: to the north of Nārada / from Nārada (point)
• nāradāt: Apadana (Reference point/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• uttare: in the northern
• uttare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (भागे)

• bhāge: in the part/region
• bhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (नागाः)

• nāgāḥ: Nāgas (serpents)
• nāgāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• praharṣitāḥ: delighted, rejoiced
• praharṣitāḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-hṛṣ (हृष्, धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• nāradīye: in the Nārada (named)
• nāradīye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nāradīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (सरःश्रेष्ठे)

• saraḥśreṣṭhe: in the best lake
• saraḥśreṣṭhe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saras-śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक); सरस् + श्रेष्ठ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समास: सरःश्रेष्ठ

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (स्ना, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (पूज्, धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• dharam: Dhara (Śiva)
• dharam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; here as epithet of Śiva (धर)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāradīya-saras

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim party moves northward along the lakeshore guided by sages; Nāga symbols (serpent motifs, hooded guardians) suggest the ‘rejoicing Nāgas’ region; the devotee bathes and approaches Śiva (Hara) for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Nāgas
• Nāradīya-saras
• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna gains fullness when followed by worship of Śiva (Hara), uniting purification with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāradīya-saras, described as a श्रेष्ठ (excellent) sacred lake.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing in Nāradīya-saras and then performing pūjā to Hara (Śiva).