Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

ततो वल्मीकमध्यस्थं शुश्रुवुर्निस्वनं च ते । जाटघोटेतिमंत्रस्य तस्यैव च महात्मनः

Transliteration

tato valmīkamadhyasthaṃ śuśruvurnisvanaṃ ca te | jāṭaghoṭetimaṃtrasya tasyaiva ca mahātmanaḥ

Translation

Puis ils entendirent un son venant du cœur d’une termitière : ce grand être récitait un mantra commençant par les mots « jāṭa-ghoṭa ».

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then; from there
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = ‘then/from there’

• valmīka-madhya-stham: situated in the middle of the anthill
• valmīka-madhya-stham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: valmīka (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √sthā धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् — ‘(one) situated in the middle of the anthill’

• śuśruvuḥ: they heard
• śuśruvuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• nisvanam: sound; noise
• nisvanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nisvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे नपुंसकवत्), द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• jāṭaghoṭeti-maṃtrasya: of the ‘jāṭaghoṭeti’ mantra
• jāṭaghoṭeti-maṃtrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāṭaghoṭeti (इति-समास/उद्धरण-प्रातिपदिक) + mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘jāṭaghoṭeti’ इति नामकस्य मन्त्रस्य

• tasya: of him/that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण-निपात)

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

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled one
• mahātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims/seekers pause near a large earthen anthill; from within, a faint rhythmic mantra-sound issues forth, suggesting a hidden ascetic presence.

Characters & Entities

• valmīka
• mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady japa can transform a person so profoundly that even harsh past identity is eclipsed by ascetic absorption.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes the sacred setting of the tīrtha-route; the named tīrtha is not specified in this line, but the location is treated as spiritually charged by the presence of sages and japa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-japa (repetition) is depicted; the specific mantra is referenced by its opening phrase ‘jāṭaghoṭa’.