Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

मुखदेशे बलिर्लग्नः पुच्छदेशेऽखिलाः सुराः । वासुदेवमतेनैव सन्दधाराथ कच्छपः

Transliteration

mukhadeśe balirlagnaḥ pucchadeśe'khilāḥ surāḥ | vāsudevamatenaiva sandadhārātha kacchapaḥ

Translation

À l’extrémité de la bouche se tint Bali, tandis qu’à l’extrémité de la queue prirent place tous les dieux. Guidée par le conseil de Vāsudeva, la Tortue supporta l’effort et demeura inébranlable.

Word by Word

• मुखदेशे: at the head-end region
• मुखदेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; मुखस्य देशः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• लग्नः: was positioned/attached
• लग्नः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लग् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘attached/positioned’

• पुच्छदेशे: at the tail-end region
• पुच्छदेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुच्छ + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; पुच्छस्य देशः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• अखिलाः: all
• अखिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• वासुदेवमतेन: by Vāsudeva's counsel
• वासुदेवमतेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव + मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; वासुदेवस्य मतम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सन्दधार: held/supported
• सन्दधार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + धृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then)

• कच्छपः: the tortoise (Kūrma)
• कच्छपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कच्छप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The churning intensifies: Bali at the serpent’s mouth-end, devas at the tail-end; Kūrma below, bracing Mandara, while Vāsudeva’s guidance steadies the act.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Sura(s)
• Vāsudeva
• Kacchapa (Kūrma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right action succeeds when guided by divine wisdom (Vāsudeva) and supported by steadfastness (Kūrma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within the Tīrthamāhātmya flow; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single shloka excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse.