Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

भर्त्सयित्वा नदीपुत्रं बाष्पव्याकुललोचना । ततःप्रोवाच मध्यस्था वह्नेः कुरुपितामहम्

Transliteration

bhartsayitvā nadīputraṃ bāṣpavyākulalocanā | tataḥprovāca madhyasthā vahneḥ kurupitāmaham

Translation

Ayant réprimandé le fils de la rivière, les yeux troublés par les larmes, elle s'adressa alors — se tenant dans le feu — au grand-père des Kurus.

Word by Word

• भर्त्सयित्वा: having rebuked
• भर्त्सयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भर्त्स् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal form)

• नदीपुत्रम्: the son of the river
• नदीपुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नद्याः पुत्रः)

• बाष्पव्याकुललोचना: she whose eyes were troubled with tears
• बाष्पव्याकुललोचना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (बाष्पेण व्याकुलानि लोचनानि यस्याः/यस्या)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (temporal/sequence adverb)

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मध्यस्था: standing in between / neutral
• मध्यस्था: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (standing in the middle/neutral)

• वह्नेः: of Agni (fire)
• वह्नेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• कुरुपितामहम्: the grandsire of the Kurus (Bhīṣma)
• कुरुपितामहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुरूणां पितामहः)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis in the frame narrative (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sorrowful princess with tear-filled eyes stands amid a ritual fire, turning to address Bhīṣma; flames rise around her while attendants and sages watch in stunned silence.

Characters & Entities

• Ambā
• Bhīṣma
• Gaṅgā (implied)
• Kuru
• Agni (Fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often teach through dramatic dialogue, showing how actions bind beings through consequence and moral tension.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Bhīṣma–Ambā account within Adhyāya 57; the tīrtha is the same kṣetra where Āditya was installed (57.1).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a speech episode occurring ‘within the fire’ as part of the narrative.