Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 129

Devanagari script

एतन्नाग बिलं शक्र पुनः पूरय पांसुभिः । नो चेदागत्य चानेन मानुषाः सिद्धिहेतवः

Transliteration

etannāga bilaṃ śakra punaḥ pūraya pāṃsubhiḥ | no cedāgatya cānena mānuṣāḥ siddhihetavaḥ

Translation

«يا شَكْرا، املأ هذا الناغابيلا من جديد بالتراب؛ وإلا فإن البشر إذا أتوا من خلاله قد ينالون سِدْهيات، أي مناقب خارقة.»

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular (this)

• नाग: of the nāga/serpent
• नाग: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (सम्बन्धे) — Masculine, Genitive singular (of the serpent)

• बिलम्: cave/pit
• बिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• शक्र: O Śakra
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन — Vocative singular

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण — adverb (again)

• पूरय: fill
• पूरय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पॄ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) — Imperative 2nd sg, causative (fill)

• पांसुभिः: with dust/sand
• पांसुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental plural

• नः: not
• नः: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात — negative particle (not)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात — conditional particle (if)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — absolutive (having come)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात — conjunction (and)

• अनेन: by this/with this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by/with this)

• मानुषाः: humans
• मानुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative plural

• सिद्धिहेतवः: causes of success/means to attain siddhi
• सिद्धिहेतवः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि + हेतु (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सिद्धेः हेतवः)

Speaker

Devas (headed by Brahmā and Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgabila

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra is instructed to fill the Nāgabila with earth; the scene shows a sacred pit/cave-mouth near a riverside shrine, with attendants carrying baskets of soil, suggesting the sealing of a potent portal.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Nāgabila
• Humans (mānuṣāḥ)
• Siddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places can bestow exceptional results; access to potent tīrthas is portrayed as spiritually consequential and guarded.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgabila—the powerful cavern connected to Hāṭakeśvara worship and siddhi-bestowing potency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical injunction: to close/fill the Nāgabila with earth to restrict passage.