Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

तं शब्दं स महीपालः श्रुत्वा मूर्छामुपाविशत् । पतितश्च जले तस्मिन्पद्मं चादर्शनं गतम्

Transliteration

taṃ śabdaṃ sa mahīpālaḥ śrutvā mūrchāmupāviśat | patitaśca jale tasminpadmaṃ cādarśanaṃ gatam

Translation

Entendant ce son, le roi Mahīpāla tomba en syncope; et, s’effondrant dans cette eau, le lotus disparut à ses yeux.

Word by Word

• tam: that
• tam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine Accusative Singular (qualifying śabdam)

• śabdam: sound
• śabdam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine Accusative Singular

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Masculine Nominative Singular

• mahī-pālaḥ: the king
• mahī-pālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास = king; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) = gerund; अर्थ: having heard

• mūrchām: fainting
• mūrchām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrcchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Feminine Accusative Singular

• upāviśat: fell into / succumbed to
• upāviśat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ā-√viś (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (भूतकाल) परस्मैपद = Imperfect; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन = 3rd person singular; अर्थ: entered/was seized by (fainted)

• patitaḥ: fell
• patitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pat (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त) = past participle; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थ: fallen

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) = conjunction ‘and’

• jale: in the water
• jale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन = Neuter Locative Singular

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन = Locative Singular (referring to jale)

• padmam: the lotus
• padmam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular (subject of gatam)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) = and

• adarśanam: disappearance / out of sight
• adarśanam: Gati/Karma (Goal-state/गत्यर्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter Accusative Singular; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाम् (goal/state)

• gatam: went / became
• gatam: Kriya (Resultant state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त) = past participle; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; padmam (subject)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king reels from the thunderous sound, eyes rolling as he faints and falls back into the water; simultaneously the radiant lotus dissolves/vanishes, leaving only ripples and fading light.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadbala (implied)
• Lotus (padma)
• Sacred water-body

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power can overwhelm the unprepared; holy places teach reverence, self-control, and surrender before the sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same jalāśaya of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya, portrayed as a locus of powerful, mysterious manifestations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse narrates the consequence of the miraculous event.