Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

एष मंत्रस्तदा जप्तो ह्यगस्त्येन महात्मना । यत्प्रभावान्नदीनाथस्तेन संशोषितो ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

eṣa maṃtrastadā japto hyagastyena mahātmanā | yatprabhāvānnadīnāthastena saṃśoṣito dhruvam

Translation

This very mantra was once recited by the great-souled Agastya; by its power, he surely caused the Lord of Rivers to dry up.

Word by Word

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एषद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• जप्तः: chanted/recited
• जप्तः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग-सूचक

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• अगस्त्येन: by Agastya
• अगस्त्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (sage)
• महात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (epithet)

• यत्-प्रभावात्: from whose power
• यत्-प्रभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘यस्य प्रभावः’

• नदीनाथः: lord of rivers (the ocean)
• नदीनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘नदीनां नाथः’

• तेन: by that (power/mantra)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संशोषितः: was dried up
• संशोषितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + शुष् (धातु) + इत (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् नपुंसक-आकारे अव्यय (adverbial accusative)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: मंत्रसिद्धिपीठ (name not specified in excerpt)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (assembly of sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya, radiant with ascetic power, seated in japa on a sacred pīṭha; the mighty river (personified as a nāga-like or deity-form ‘nadīnātha’) recedes and dries under mantra-force; sages witness in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• nadī-nātha (samudra/ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It validates mantra efficacy through a revered ṛṣi’s precedent, framing siddhi as part of the Purāṇic sacred narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The adhyāya’s tīrtha/pīṭha is praised as mantra-siddhi-giving; this verse supports that praise via the Agastya exemplar rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the previously described mantra, cited with Agastya as the authoritative practitioner.