Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

नरकं वारयत्येतत्सेवितं नरकापहम् । भूतग्रहाश्च सर्वेऽपि यास्यंति विलयं ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

narakaṃ vārayatyetatsevitaṃ narakāpaham | bhūtagrahāśca sarve'pi yāsyaṃti vilayaṃ dhruvam

Translation

Ce tīrtha/observance sacrée, lorsqu’on s’y réfugie, écarte l’enfer et détruit le sort infernal; et tous les esprits et saisissements affligeants (bhūta-grahas) se résorbent à coup sûr.

Word by Word

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Case 2), एकवचन; object of वारयति

• वारयति: prevents, wards off
• वारयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु; वारयति = causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), एकवचन; subject of वारयति

• सेवितम्: worshipped, resorted to
• सेवितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेवित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), एकवचन; विशेषण of एतत्

• नरकापहम्: removing hell
• नरकापहम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + अपह (प्रातिपदिक; from अप-हृ ‘to remove’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), एकवचन; विशेषण of एतत्

• भूतग्रहाः: spirits and seizing entities (bhūta-grahas)
• भूतग्रहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), बहुवचन; subject of यास्यन्ति

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), बहुवचन; विशेषण of भूतग्रहाः

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), inclusive/emphatic

• यास्यन्ति: will go
• यास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• विलयम्: dissolution, destruction
• विलयम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Case 2), एकवचन; goal

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणवत् नपुंसक-एकवचन (used adverbially)

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīrtha (Amarakantaka-prabhava context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims approach a river-tīrtha with folded hands; dark, smoky forms of bhūtas/grahas dissolve into light as the tīrtha’s radiance spreads; a protective Śaiva aura surrounds the devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Bhūtagrahas
• Tīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with a true tīrtha and devotion to Śiva purifies karmic downfall and protects from unseen afflictions.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The Amarakantaka–Narmadā tīrtha context introduced immediately before.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/resorting to the tīrtha (tīrtha-sevā), implying worship, bathing, and reverent practice there.