Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

व्यलोकयन्त सर्वत्र दृष्ट्वा तत्र महेश्वरम् । नासौ दृष्टिपथे तेषां बभूव भयविह्वलः

Transliteration

vyalokayanta sarvatra dṛṣṭvā tatra maheśvaram | nāsau dṛṣṭipathe teṣāṃ babhūva bhayavihvalaḥ

Translation

他们四方环顾，欲在彼处寻见大自在天（Maheśvara）；然其不入众人目境，于是众仙因恐惧而战栗。

Word by Word

• vyalokayanta: they looked around
• vyalokayanta: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√lok (लोक्)
• Form: लङ् लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• sarvatra: everywhere
• sarvatra: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: everywhere)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), त्वा-प्रत्यय; अव्ययभाव

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• maheśvaram: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• asau: he (that one)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• dṛṣṭi-pathe: within (their) sight
• dṛṣṭi-pathe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + patha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष ‘दृष्टिपथ’ (range/path of sight); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• babhūva: became/was
• babhūva: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू)
• Form: लिट् लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• bhaya-vihvalaḥ: overwhelmed with fear
• bhaya-vihvalaḥ: Karta-pradhana (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + vihvala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष ‘भयविह्वल’ (overwhelmed by fear); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (predicate adjective of ‘asau’)

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages scanning the horizon around the colossal liṅga; empty space where Śiva is sought; their faces turn from hope to fear, hands clutching rosaries and waterpots.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is not always grasped by ordinary sight; reverent seeking and inner readiness are implied.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha associated with Maheśvara and a great liṅga, later identified in context with Narmadā/Amarakantaka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the emphasis is on seeking darśana and the awe it produces.