Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वाभिमंत्र्याथ नादबिंदुसमुद्भवैः । मंत्रैराथर्वणैस्तोयं पानार्थं चार्पयत्ततः

Transliteration

evamuktvābhimaṃtryātha nādabiṃdusamudbhavaiḥ | maṃtrairātharvaṇaistoyaṃ pānārthaṃ cārpayattataḥ

Translation

Nachdem er so gesprochen hatte, weihte er Wasser mit atharvanischen Mantras, entsprossen aus nāda und bindu (Klang und Same), und reichte es darauf zum Trinken dar.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: "thus")

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having said)

• अभिमन्त्र्य: having enchanted (with mantras)
• अभिमन्त्र्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + मन्त्र् (धातु) + क्त्वा/ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having consecrated/enchanted)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha/Anukrama (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/क्रमसूचक (then/thereupon)

• नादबिन्दुसमुद्भवैः: by (mantras) arising from nāda and bindu
• नादबिन्दुसमुद्भवैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाद (प्रातिपदिक) + बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (समुद्भव-शब्दः पुं); तृतीया विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: नादबिन्दुभ्यां समुद्भवाः = "arisen from sound and bindu"

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• आथर्वणैः: Atharvan (Atharva-vedic)
• आथर्वणैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आथर्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणं मन्त्रैः (Atharvan/atharvaṇa-type)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पानार्थम्: for drinking
• पानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण प्रयुक्तं प्रयोजनवाचक अव्यय (for the purpose of drinking)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अर्पयत्: he offered/presented
• अर्पयत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्पय् (धातु; णिजन्त)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Kāla/Anukrama (Temporal/sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/काल/क्रमवाचक (thereupon/from then)

Speaker

Narrative context (agent is Śākalya per sequence; speaker not explicitly tagged in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual specialist, after speaking, holds a vessel of water and consecrates it with Atharvanic mantras; subtle imagery of nāda (vibration) and bindu (seed-point) radiates over the water before it is offered for drinking.

Characters & Entities

• Atharva (Ātharvaṇa mantras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra is portrayed as efficacious in transforming substances; it also warns that sacred power can be misused when driven by anger.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a narrative action within the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhimantraṇa (consecration) of water with mantras and offering it for drinking.