Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तदाराध्य पुरा सोमः क्षयव्याधिसमन्वितः । बभूव नीरुग्देहोऽसौ यथा पांड्यो नराधिपः

Transliteration

tadārādhya purā somaḥ kṣayavyādhisamanvitaḥ | babhūva nīrugdeho'sau yathā pāṃḍyo narādhipaḥ

Translation

久远以前，苏摩（Soma）罹患消耗之疾，虔诚礼敬那位苏摩主（Somēśvara）。于是其身离病得安，如同后来般地，般荼耶王亦复如是。

Word by Word

• तत्: that (liṅga)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• आराध्य: having worshipped/propitiated
• आराध्य: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु) → आराध्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having propitiated/worshipped’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Sambandha (Temporal adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालबोधक (formerly, in olden times)

• सोमः: Soma
• सोमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• क्षयव्याधिसमन्वितः: afflicted with consumption/disease
• क्षयव्याधिसमन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (समाहार/द्वन्द्व-आभास within): ‘क्षय-व्याधिभिः समन्वितः’ = afflicted with wasting disease(s)

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• नीरुग्देहः: having a disease-free body
• नीरुग्देहः: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/निपात) + रुग् (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘न विद्यते रुग् यस्य देहे सः’ = whose body is without disease

• असौ: he (that one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक सर्वनाम (demonstrative: ‘that/he’)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/तुलनाबोधक (as, just as)

• पाण्ड्यः: Pāṇḍya (king)
• पाण्ड्यः: Karta (Comparand subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्ड्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• नराधिपः: lord of men, king
• नराधिपः: Apposition (Predicate noun/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘नराणाम् अधिपः’

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somēśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Soma, pale and weakened by kṣaya, performs intense worship of the Somēśvara liṅga; moonlight merges with Śiva’s radiance. In a secondary vignette, the Pāṇḍya king is shown similarly cured, standing robust and regal.

Characters & Entities

• Soma (Candra)
• Somēśvara
• Pāṇḍya king
• kṣaya (wasting disease)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text presents exemplary narratives—deities and kings alike—showing that sincere propitiation at a holy site restores well-being and dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somēśvara liṅga-tīrtha, whose worship is credited with curing kṣaya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (propitiatory worship) of Somēśvara is highlighted as the means through which affliction is removed.