Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 165

Devanagari script

प्रविशामि हुताशं वा भक्षयिष्याम्यहं विषम्

Transliteration

praviśāmi hutāśaṃ vā bhakṣayiṣyāmyahaṃ viṣam

Translation

„Wenn es sein muss, werde ich ins Feuer gehen, oder ich werde Gift zu mir nehmen.“

Word by Word

• प्रविशामि: I enter
• प्रविशामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हुताशम्: fire
• हुताशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुताश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• भक्षयिष्यामि: I will eat/consume
• भक्षयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विषम्: poison
• विषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

The pilgrim/unknown man

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A determined figure makes a stark vow: to step into blazing fire or drink poison, framed as a dramatic assertion of innocence/resolve before ritual authorities.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (hutāśa)
• viṣa (poison)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The intensity of one’s commitment to truth and purification is portrayed as readiness to sacrifice even life for dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The line is part of the tīrtha-centered narrative but does not specify the tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It expresses willingness for life-risking ordeals (fire/poison), functioning as an extreme form of proof or penance within the śuddhi context.