Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच । प्रतिज्ञाय मया पूर्व गृहं मुक्तं निजं यतः । मुण्डीरस्वामिनं दृष्ट्वा तथाऽन्यं कालवल्लभम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | pratijñāya mayā pūrva gṛhaṃ muktaṃ nijaṃ yataḥ | muṇḍīrasvāminaṃ dṛṣṭvā tathā'nyaṃ kālavallabham

Translation

婆罗门说道：“先前我曾立下誓愿，因此舍弃了自己的家宅；既已瞻见穆ṇḍīrasvāmin，又复得见另一位——Kālavallabha。”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रतिज्ञाय: having vowed/promised
• प्रतिज्ञाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: previously
• पूर्वम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/विशेषण)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक; ‘formerly/before’)

• गृहम्: house, home
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• मुक्तम्: abandoned, left
• मुक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘gṛham’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; ‘left/abandoned’

• निजम्: one's own
• निजम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘gṛham’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• यतः: since, because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतुवाचक/causal; ‘since/because’)

• मुण्डीरस्वामिनम्: Muṇḍīra-Svāmin (a lord/deity)
• मुण्डीरस्वामिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुण्डीर (प्रातिपदिक; स्थान/देवता-नाम) + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुण्डीरस्य स्वामी)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/रीतिवाचक; ‘thus/also’)

• अन्यम्: another
• अन्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• कालवल्लभम्: Kālavallabha (name/title)
• कालवल्लभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य वल्लभः)

Speaker

The Brahmin

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Muṇḍīrasvāmin; Kālavallabha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Brahmin replies to the radiant beings, explaining his prior vow and that he left home after seeing Muṇḍīrasvāmin and Kālavallabha—invoking the authority of darśana and promise.

Characters & Entities

• Muṇḍīrasvāmin
• Kālavallabha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of a deity can inspire vows, but vows must be integrated with higher guidance and dharma when new revelation appears.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha region associated with deities titled Muṇḍīrasvāmin and Kālavallabha is implied, pointing to localized sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prior pratijñā (vow) is referenced; no detailed ritual method is described in this verse.