Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गुणा एते प्रजायन्ते पानात्कृष्णांशसंभवात् । नित्यामृतस्यपानेन बलं स्वल्पं प्रजायते

Transliteration

guṇā ete prajāyante pānātkṛṣṇāṃśasaṃbhavāt | nityāmṛtasyapānena balaṃ svalpaṃ prajāyate

Translation

«Ces qualités naissent de cette boisson, issue d’une part de Kṛṣṇa (Viṣṇu). Mais en buvant sans cesse l’“amṛta” ordinaire, on ne produit qu’une faible force.»

Word by Word

• guṇāḥ: qualities
• guṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ete: these
• ete: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (demonstrative used adjectivally)

• prajāyante: are produced/arise
• prajāyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Plural, Atmanepada

• pānāt: from drinking
• pānāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• kṛṣṇa-aṃśa-saṃbhavāt: from (that) arising from Kṛṣṇa’s portion
• kṛṣṇa-aṃśa-saṃbhavāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative, Singular; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य अंशः → कृष्णांशः; कृष्णांशस्य सम्भवः) — “from the origin arising from Kṛṣṇa’s portion”

• nitya-amṛtasya-pānena: by drinking the perpetual nectar
• nitya-amṛtasya-pānena: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + amṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; समासः तत्पुरुषः (नित्यं अमृतम् → नित्यामृतम्; नित्यामृतस्य पानम्) — “by drinking the constant nectar”

• balam: strength
• balam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• svalpam: little/slight
• svalpam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular (agreeing with balam)

• prajāyate: arises
• prajāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vessel of tīrtha-water is shown with a subtle emblem of Kṛṣṇa’s presence (peacock feather motif, śaṅkha-cakra aura); beside it, a contrasting vessel labeled 'amṛta' appears less luminous, illustrating the verse’s comparison.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa (as Viṣṇu’s aspect)
• Amṛta (nectar)
• Cāturmāsya (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (kāla) and divine association (Kṛṣṇa-aṃśa) amplify the fruit of a simple act; not all “nectar” is equal without dharmic context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage sits within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, but this verse emphasizes theological causation (Kṛṣṇa-aṃśa) rather than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Value and adopt Cāturmāsya observances (e.g., water-offering/service) because their potency is said to be divinely intensified.