Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 152

Devanagari script

संपश्यन्नासिकाग्रं स्वं दिशश्चानवलोकयन् । तालुमध्यगतेनैव जिह्वाग्रेणाचलेन च

Transliteration

saṃpaśyannāsikāgraṃ svaṃ diśaścānavalokayan | tālumadhyagatenaiva jihvāgreṇācalena ca

Translation

Er blickte auf die Spitze seiner eigenen Nase und schaute nicht in die Richtungen; die Zungenspitze hielt er reglos, in der Mitte des Gaumens platziert.

Word by Word

• संपश्यन्: while looking intently
• संपश्यन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √पश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले (लट्-अर्थे) शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग (कर्तरि प्रयोगः) — Present active participle (śatṛ), nominative singular masculine

• नासिकाग्रम्: the tip of the nose
• नासिकाग्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नासिका (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम् — Neuter, accusative singular

• स्वम्: one’s own
• स्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (नासिकाग्रम्) — Neuter, accusative singular (possessive adjective)

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम् — Feminine, accusative plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः — Conjunction/particle

• अनवलोकयन्: not looking (around)
• अनवलोकयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + अव + √लोक् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले (लट्-अर्थे) शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः; प्रथमा-एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग — Present active participle (śatṛ), nominative singular masculine

• तालुमध्यगतेन: with (it) having gone to the middle of the palate
• तालुमध्यगतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तालु (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (√गम्; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (जिह्वाग्रेण) — Neuter, instrumental singular

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः — Emphatic particle

• जिह्वाग्रेण: with the tip of the tongue
• जिह्वाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम् — Neuter, instrumental singular

• अचलेन: motionless/steady
• अचलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (जिह्वाग्रेण) — Neuter, instrumental singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः — Conjunction/particle

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaidyanātha-kṣetra (as implied by adjacent verses)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated in still meditation, eyes gently set toward the nose-tip, face serene; the tongue-tip poised at the palate, body unmoving in a sacred precinct atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Suprabha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Withdrawal of the senses (pratyāhāra) and one-pointed focus are presented as the inner pilgrimage that complements outer tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, but the site is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yogic instruction is given (nose-tip gaze, tongue posture), not a public ritual.