Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

भास्कर उवाच । गृहाण त्वं महाभाग गुटिकाद्वितयं शुभम् । शुक्लं कृष्णं च वक्त्रस्थं विभेद जननं महत्

Transliteration

bhāskara uvāca | gṛhāṇa tvaṃ mahābhāga guṭikādvitayaṃ śubham | śuklaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ ca vaktrasthaṃ vibheda jananaṃ mahat

Translation

Bhāskara dit : «Ô bienheureux, prends cette paire de pilules de bon augure — l’une blanche, l’autre noire. Gardées dans la bouche, elles engendrent un grand pouvoir de distinction.»

Word by Word

• bhāskaraḥ: Bhāskara (Sun)
• bhāskaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• gṛhāṇa: take/accept
• gṛhāṇa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• mahābhāga: O fortunate one
• mahābhāga: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः

• guṭikā-dvitayam: a pair of pellets/pills
• guṭikā-dvitayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṭikā (प्रातिपदिक) + dvitaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pair of pills)

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• śuklam: white
• śuklam: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• kṛṣṇam: black
• kṛṣṇam: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vaktra-stham: placed in the mouth
• vaktra-stham: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaktra (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (situated in the mouth)

• vibheda: distinguish/separate
• vibheda: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi+bhid (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• jananam: producing/causing
• jananam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• mahat: great
• mahat: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Bhāskara (Sūrya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Puṣpa (or the fortunate recipient addressed as mahābhāga)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhāskara, radiant like the sun, offers two small pellets—one white, one black—to a fortunate recipient, instructing that they be kept in the mouth to produce distinct effects.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine gifts are given with precise instructions; dharma requires right method (vidhi) and discernment of effects.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is instructional and does not itself name a tīrtha, though it appears within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An observance-like instruction is given: keep the white/black pellets in the mouth (vaktrastha) to generate distinct results.