Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

वल्मीकरंध्रमासाद्य तन्निष्क्रांतं पुनर्द्विजाः । कालेन महता तत्र प्रदेशे स्वल्पमेव हि

Transliteration

valmīkaraṃdhramāsādya tanniṣkrāṃtaṃ punardvijāḥ | kālena mahatā tatra pradeśe svalpameva hi

Translation

«ولمّا بلغ ذلك الماءُ ثُقبًا في جُحرِ النملِ الأبيض خرج من جديد، يا ذوي الميلادين؛ وبعد زمنٍ طويل لم يظهر في تلك الناحية إلا بقدرٍ يسير».

Word by Word

• वल्मीकि-रन्ध्रम्: an ant-hill hole/opening
• वल्मीकि-रन्ध्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्मीकि (प्रातिपदिक) + रन्ध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक

• निष्क्रान्तम्: came out/emerged
• निष्क्रान्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निस् + क्रम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Voc./Nom.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कालेन: with/by time
• कालेन: Karana (Means/Time-factor/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महता: great/long
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; कालस्य विशेषणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• प्रदेशे: in the region
• प्रदेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वल्पम्: a little
• स्वल्पम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: only/just
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Nipata (Explanatory/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निपात (particle, explanatory)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet landscape: an anthill with a small opening; from it, a thin stream of sacred water trickles out, forming a tiny pool over long ages, while sages listen to Sūta’s calm explanation.

Characters & Entities

• valmīka (anthill)
• tīrtha waters

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness can be concealed yet enduring; with time, sacred power resurfaces—encouraging patience and faith in tīrtha traditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha whose waters, once buried, reappeared through a valmīka opening, marking the site as divinely preserved.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse supports the tīrtha’s authenticity and antiquity, grounding the later merit of snāna.