Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

वल्मीकरंध्रमासाद्य तन्निष्क्रांतं पुनर्द्विजाः । कालेन महता तत्र प्रदेशे स्वल्पमेव हि

Transliteration

valmīkaraṃdhramāsādya tanniṣkrāṃtaṃ punardvijāḥ | kālena mahatā tatra pradeśe svalpameva hi

Translation

« Parvenue à une ouverture dans une termitière, cette eau jaillit de nouveau, ô deux-fois-nés ; et, après un long temps, elle n’apparut en ce lieu qu’en faible quantité. »

Word by Word

• वल्मीकि-रन्ध्रम्: an ant-hill hole/opening
• वल्मीकि-रन्ध्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्मीकि (प्रातिपदिक) + रन्ध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक

• निष्क्रान्तम्: came out/emerged
• निष्क्रान्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निस् + क्रम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Voc./Nom.), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कालेन: with/by time
• कालेन: Karana (Means/Time-factor/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महता: great/long
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; कालस्य विशेषणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• प्रदेशे: in the region
• प्रदेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वल्पम्: a little
• स्वल्पम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: only/just
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Nipata (Explanatory/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निपात (particle, explanatory)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet landscape: an anthill with a small opening; from it, a thin stream of sacred water trickles out, forming a tiny pool over long ages, while sages listen to Sūta’s calm explanation.

Characters & Entities

• valmīka (anthill)
• tīrtha waters

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness can be concealed yet enduring; with time, sacred power resurfaces—encouraging patience and faith in tīrtha traditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha whose waters, once buried, reappeared through a valmīka opening, marking the site as divinely preserved.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse supports the tīrtha’s authenticity and antiquity, grounding the later merit of snāna.