Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ततश्चक्रे मुनिर्यावत्सम्यक्कुशपरिग्रहम् । दर्भाग्रेणास्य हस्ताग्रं पाटितं तावदेव हि

Transliteration

tataścakre muniryāvatsamyakkuśaparigraham | darbhāgreṇāsya hastāgraṃ pāṭitaṃ tāvadeva hi

Translation

Alors le muni entreprit de saisir correctement l’herbe kuśa ; mais à cet instant même, l’extrémité de sa main fut entaillée par la pointe acérée d’un brin de darbha.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थक/क्रमसूचक (then/from there)

• चक्रे: he did/performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + लिट् (आत्मनेपद)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• यावत्: as much as/so long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Limit marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-सूचक (as much as/so long as)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (properly)

• कुशपरिग्रहम्: the taking/holding of kuśa grass
• कुशपरिग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश-परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘taking/holding of kuśa grass’)

• दर्भाग्रेण: with the tip of darbha grass
• दर्भाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘tip of darbha grass’)

• अस्य: of him/his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हस्ताग्रम्: the tip of his hand/fingertip
• हस्ताग्रम्: Karma (Object affected/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘tip of the hand/fingertip’)

• पाटितम्: was cut/split
• पाटितम्: Kriya (Resultant state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पट्/पाट् (धातु) + णिच्? (causative sense) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (was split/cut)

• तावत्: just then/so much
• तावत्: Sambandha (Measure/limit/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/तत्क्षण-सूचक (just then/that much)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ निपात (for/indeed)

Speaker

Deductive (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage reaches for kuśa; a sharp darbha blade grazes and cuts his fingertip—close-up focus on the hand, grass, and a single drop forming.

Characters & Entities

• muni
• kuśa
• darbha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even small ritual acts at a tīrtha can become the doorway to extraordinary outcomes, revealing the hidden potency of sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse itself does not name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Proper handling/acceptance of kuśa grass as part of ritual procedure (aṅga of Vedic-Purāṇic rites).