Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

रन्ध्रद्वयेन विप्रेन्द्रा लोचनाभ्यां निरीक्षणात् । एकस्य सलिलं क्षिप्रं यत्र जाता सरस्वती

Transliteration

randhradvayena viprendrā locanābhyāṃ nirīkṣaṇāt | ekasya salilaṃ kṣipraṃ yatra jātā sarasvatī

Translation

O Bester der Brahmanen, durch seinen Blick aus den beiden Öffnungen der Augen strömte rasch Wasser aus einer hervor, an dem Ort, wo Sarasvatī sich offenbarte.

Word by Word

• रन्ध्रद्वयेन: by the two openings
• रन्ध्रद्वयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रन्ध्र (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्वयोः रन्ध्रयोः) — Instrumental singular

• विप्रेन्द्राः: O best of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — Vocative/Address sense in context

• लोचनाभ्याम्: by (his) two eyes
• लोचनाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन — Instrumental dual

• निरीक्षणात्: from/through the act of looking
• निरीक्षणात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरीक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) < √ईक्ष् (धातु) + नि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन — Ablative singular (cause/source)

• एकस्य: of one (of them)
• एकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular (context: subject)

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक) — relative adverb of place

• जाता: was born/arose
• जाता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्तः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — past passive participle used predicatively

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī (river/goddess)
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī-prādurbhāva-tīrtha (as implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas/dvijas (explicitly addressed as ‘viprendra’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage/ascetic’s intense gaze through both eyes causes a sudden springing forth of water at a sacred spot; the river Sarasvatī is shown as a luminous goddess emerging with flowing waters.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vasiṣṭha
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is restored at the sacred source through realized vision (ṛṣi-dṛṣṭi); spiritual insight becomes an instrument of renewal for the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the specific locality identified as the manifestation place of Sarasvatī, functioning as an origin-tīrtha within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed beyond the prior mantra-action; this verse describes the immediate result—swift emergence of water—marking the tīrtha’s restoration.