Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अथ तं मातलिर्दृष्ट्वा विसंज्ञं वलघातिनम् । प्राङ्मुखं च रथं चक्रे संस्मरन्सारथेर्नयम्

Transliteration

atha taṃ mātalirdṛṣṭvā visaṃjñaṃ valaghātinam | prāṅmukhaṃ ca rathaṃ cakre saṃsmaransārathernayam

Translation

Voyant Valaghātin (Indra) privé de connaissance, Mātali tourna le char vers l’Orient, se souvenant de la juste conduite d’un cocher de guerre.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक निपात (then/now)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मातलिः: Mātali (Indra’s charioteer)
• मातलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); धातु: दृश्—दर्शने (having seen)

• विसंज्ञम्: unconscious
• विसंज्ञम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + संज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (tam)

• वलघातिनम्: slayer of Vala
• वलघातिनम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल + घातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘वलस्य घातिन्’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (epithet)

• प्राङ्मुखम्: facing east/forward
• प्राङ्मुखम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राङ् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (‘प्राङ् मुखः’ = east-facing/forward-facing); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (ratham)

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

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चक्रे: made, turned
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; धातु: कृ—करणे (to make/do)

• संस्मरन्: remembering
• संस्मरन्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्मृ (धातु) → संस्मरन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (while remembering)

• सारथेः: of the charioteer
• सारथेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नयम्: method, conduct, strategy
• नयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mātali, the skilled charioteer, sees Indra unconscious and swiftly turns the chariot to face east, reins taut, horses pivoting; the banner swings as the chariot reorients.

Characters & Entities

• Mātali
• Indra (Valaghātin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes skilled duty (naya): even in crisis, right conduct and trained strategy protect life and mission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it remains within the Mahātmya’s narrative progression.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.