Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ततः संप्रस्थितो हृष्टो धृत्वा मनसि सागरम् । स्नानार्थं तं समादाय कुठारं भास्करप्रभम्

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃprasthito hṛṣṭo dhṛtvā manasi sāgaram | snānārthaṃ taṃ samādāya kuṭhāraṃ bhāskaraprabham

Translation

Then, delighted, he set out—holding the ocean in his mind as his destination. For the sake of ritual bathing, he took up that axe, radiant like the sun.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kala-sambandha (Time-link/कालसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/हेतुवाचक (adverb: thereafter)

• संप्रस्थितः: having set out; departed
• संप्रस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हृष्टः: joyful
• हृष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• धृत्वा: having held/kept
• धृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• मनसि: in (his) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सागरम्: the ocean
• सागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (स्नानस्य अर्थः/स्नानाय अर्थः)

• तम्: that (ocean)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समादाय: having taken up
• समादाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• कुठारम्: axe
• कुठारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुठार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भास्करप्रभम्: sun-bright; radiant like the sun
• भास्करप्रभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास्कर + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भास्करस्य प्रभा यस्य/भास्करप्रभः) विशेषण (कुठारम्)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāgara-snāna (intended)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvijendrāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma departs joyfully toward the sea, the ocean envisioned in his mind; he carries a sun-bright axe, suggesting both heroic energy and impending transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma
• Sāgara (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha-journey begins with inner resolve (saṅkalpa) and is fulfilled through purifying acts like snāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative points toward a sea-tīrtha (sāgara-snānārtha), within the Adhyāya 94 tīrtha context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), especially connected with the ocean.