Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा जघानाथ पादाघातेन मेदिनीम् । कान्तभक्तिं पुरस्कृत्य तस्य जीवितवांछया

Transliteration

evamuktvā jaghānātha pādāghātena medinīm | kāntabhaktiṃ puraskṛtya tasya jīvitavāṃchayā

Translation

Ayant ainsi parlé, elle frappa la terre d’un coup de pied, plaçant au premier rang sa dévotion pour son bien-aimé, dans le désir de lui rendre la vie.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकाले कृतक्रिया (having done earlier)

• jaghāna: struck, smote
• jaghāna: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (हन् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• pādāghātena: by a kick/foot-strike
• pādāghātena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (पाद प्रातिपदिक) + āghāta (आघात प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पाद-आघात (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'पादस्य आघातः'); पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental); एकवचन

• medinīm: the earth/ground
• medinīm: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medinī (मेदिनी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन

• kāntabhaktim: devotion to (his) beloved
• kāntabhaktim: Karman (Object of gerund/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kānta (कान्त प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (भक्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कान्त-भक्ति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'कान्तस्य भक्तिः'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/accusative); एकवचन

• puraskṛtya: having kept foremost
• puraskṛtya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: puras-kṛ (पुरस् + कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); 'पुरस्कृत्य' = अग्रे कृत्वा (having placed in front/keeping foremost)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/genitive); एकवचन

• jīvitavāṃchayā: out of desire for (his) life
• jīvitavāṃchayā: Hetu (Cause/motive/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (जीवित प्रातिपदिक) + vāṃchā (वाञ्छा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: जीवित-वाञ्छा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'जीवितस्य वाञ्छा'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental); एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Implied) Māṇḍavya-srotaḥ / pādāghāta-udbhava-kunda (name not explicit in given verses)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devoted woman, intent on saving her beloved’s life, strikes the ground with her foot; the earth responds as if about to open into a spring, while an ascetic witness stands nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Dīrghikā
• Medinī (Earth, personified concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic love and selfless intent, when joined with truth, are portrayed as creative forces that can manifest blessings in the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The action marks the manifestation of a water-source that functions as a tīrtha in the narrative, but the proper site-name is not included in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The continuation of a satya-kriyā is implied: after the truth-declaration, the physical act (foot-stamp) serves as the immediate catalyst for the water’s emergence.