Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । शोषणीनाम या विद्या पुरागस्त्येन साधिता । आथर्वणेन मन्त्रेण स्वयं च परमेश्वरी

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | śoṣaṇīnāma yā vidyā purāgastyena sādhitā | ātharvaṇena mantreṇa svayaṃ ca parameśvarī

Translation

Sūta dit : «La vidyā nommée “Śoṣaṇī”, jadis maîtrisée par Agastya—avec un mantra d’Atharva—et la Déesse Suprême elle-même (y prirent part).»

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• शोषणीनाम्: of the (powers/arts) called ‘Drying’
• शोषणीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोषणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विद्या: knowledge, spell
• विद्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• अगस्त्येन: by Agastya
• अगस्त्येन: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• साधिता: was accomplished/perfected
• साधिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (विद्या इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• आथर्वणेन: Atharvanic
• आथर्वणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आथर्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (मन्त्रेण इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• मन्त्रेण: by a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: herself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Emphatic subject marker/कर्ता-बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय (emphatic indeclinable)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• परमेश्वरी: the Supreme Goddess
• परमेश्वरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परमा ईश्वरी)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māhitthī / Māhittha (narrative locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates: Agastya, austere and radiant, performs mantra-sādhana; a subtle form of the Supreme Goddess is suggested behind him as luminous śakti; Atharvanic mantra scrolls/yantra-like motifs appear.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Agastya
• Śoṣaṇī-vidyā
• Atharva-mantra
• Parameśvarī (Devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthas are empowered through realized sages and divine grace—mantra-vidyā is effective when perfected and aligned with the Goddess’s will.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage is explaining the background for Māhittha’s establishment; this verse emphasizes the empowering means (Śoṣaṇī-vidyā) rather than naming the site directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of an Atharvanic mantra and the Śoṣaṇī-vidyā is referenced, but no step-by-step ritual procedure is given in this verse.