Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

पृच्छमानो भिषग्मुख्यानौषधानि मुहुर्मुहुः । मंत्रान्मंत्रविदश्चैव रोगनाशाय नित्यतः

Transliteration

pṛcchamāno bhiṣagmukhyānauṣadhāni muhurmuhuḥ | maṃtrānmaṃtravidaścaiva roganāśāya nityataḥ

Translation

Sans cesse, il interrogea les plus grands médecins sur les remèdes, et de même les connaisseurs des mantras sur les formules sacrées, désirant toujours l’anéantissement de son mal.

Word by Word

• पृच्छमानः: asking
• पृच्छमानः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृच्छमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भिषग्मुख्यानि: (remedies) foremost among physicians
• भिषग्मुख्यानि: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिषज् + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (भिषजां मुख्यानि = chief among physicians)

• औषधानि: medicines
• औषधानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

• मन्त्रान्: mantras
• मन्त्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• मन्त्रविदः: knowers of mantras
• मन्त्रविदः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विद्-समासान्त (knowers)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• रोगनाशाय: for the destruction of disease
• रोगनाशाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (रोगस्य नाशः)

• नित्यतः: always
• नित्यतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (always/constantly)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha (implicit goal of healing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim repeatedly consults renowned physicians with herb bundles and, separately, mantra-knowers with rosaries and fire-altars, showing tireless pursuit of a cure.

Characters & Entities

• Physicians (bhiṣak)
• Mantra-knowers (mantravid)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma acknowledges both human means (medicine) and sacred means (mantra), yet points beyond them toward divine grace and tīrtha-prabhāva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it builds the narrative tension that culminates in the glory of Śaṅkhatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-prayoga is referenced generally (seeking mantras for roga-nāśa), but no specific mantra or rite is given here.