Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा मुनिः सोऽथ मत्स्यकच्छपसंकुलम् । हेलया प्रपपौ कृत्स्नं ग्राहैः कीर्णं महार्णवम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evamuktvā muniḥ so'tha matsyakacchapasaṃkulam | helayā prapapau kṛtsnaṃ grāhaiḥ kīrṇaṃ mahārṇavam

Translation

সূত বললেন—এ কথা বলে সেই মুনি অনায়াসে মাছ ও কচ্ছপে পরিপূর্ণ, গ্রাহে ভরা সমগ্র মহাসমুদ্র পান করে নিলেন।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; संबोधन-रहित कर्तृपद-निर्देशः (speaker tag)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• उक्त्वा: having spoken
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having said)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थक (then/now)

• मत्स्यकच्छपसंकुलम्: filled with fish and tortoises
• मत्स्यकच्छपसंकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: matsya (प्रातिपदिक) + kacchapa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मत्स्यैः कच्छपैश्च संकुलम् = filled with fish and tortoises)

• हेलया: playfully; with ease
• हेलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: helā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; करण/हेतुवाचक प्रयोगः

• प्रपपौ: drank up
• प्रपपौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कृत्स्नम्: entire
• कृत्स्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtsna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• ग्राहैः: with crocodiles
• ग्राहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• कीर्णम्: strewn; filled
• कीर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṝ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (strewn/filled)

• महार्णवम्: the great ocean
• महार्णवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् अर्णवः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied Purāṇic audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant sage stands at the shore; the vast ocean, teeming with fish, tortoises, and crocodiles, funnels into his mouth like a cosmic whirl, revealing the seabed and stunned creatures.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Sage (Agastya; implied)
• Ocean (mahārṇava)
• Fish
• Tortoises
• Crocodiles (grāha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic vision presents realized sanctity as transformative power—when aligned with dharma, it can reshape the world’s visible order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as a mythic intensifier within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya, using the ocean-drinking act to frame the sanctity of the surrounding sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription; it is narrative description of the sage’s miraculous act.