Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

प्रसन्नवदनं चक्रुः कार्यसाधनतत्परम् । कर्मसाक्षी महातेजाः कृत्वा पारावतं वपु

Transliteration

prasannavadanaṃ cakruḥ kāryasādhanatatparam | karmasākṣī mahātejāḥ kṛtvā pārāvataṃ vapu

Translation

Sie bewirkten, dass sein Antlitz heiter wurde und er ganz auf die Vollendung der Aufgabe gerichtet war. Agni, der Zeuge der Taten, von großer Strahlkraft, nahm den Leib einer Taube an.

Word by Word

• प्रसन्नवदनम्: with a serene face
• प्रसन्नवदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न-वदन (प्रातिपदिक; प्रसन्न + वदन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate/object complement

• चक्रुः: they made
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Parasmaipada

• कार्यसाधनतत्परम्: intent on accomplishing the task
• कार्यसाधनतत्परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य-साधन-तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक; कार्य + साधन + तत्पर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with (implicit) मनः/चित्तम् or with प्रसन्नवदनम् as complement

• कर्मसाक्षी: the witness of actions
• कर्मसाक्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म-साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक; कर्म + साक्षिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• महातेजाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक; महा + तेजस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective to कर्मसाक्षी

• कृत्वा: having assumed/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); having made/assuming

• पारावतम्: pigeon-like
• पारावतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारावत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with वपु

• वपुः: a body/form
• वपुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular (object of कृत्वा)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, brilliant and mighty, calms into a serene expression; then, in a sudden metamorphosis, he becomes a dove—small, graceful, and purposeful—ready to execute the devas’ plan.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (karma-sākṣī)
• Devas
• Pārāvata (dove)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine order employs even extraordinary means for righteous ends, while karma remains witnessed and upheld by cosmic principles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself does not specify a site; it forms part of the larger tīrtha narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual act is prescribed here; it describes Agni’s role as karma-sākṣī within a divine undertaking.