Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा समुद्रो भयसंकुलः । अपसारं ततश्चक्रे यावत्तस्याभिवांछितम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā samudro bhayasaṃkulaḥ | apasāraṃ tataścakre yāvattasyābhivāṃchitam

Translation

Sūta dit : Entendant ces paroles, l'océan, secoué de peur, se retira — reculant aussi loin qu'il le désirait.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘वचनम्’ इति विशेष्येण सह

• वचनम्: speech, statement
• वचनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• समुद्रः: the ocean
• समुद्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भयसंकुलः: filled with fear
• भयसंकुलः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘भयेन संकुलः’

• अपसारम्: withdrawal, retreat
• अपसारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपसार (प्रातिपदिक; अप-√सृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kala/Sequence (क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• चक्रे: did, made
• चक्रे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• यावत्: as much as, up to the extent that
• यावत्: Parimana/Limit (परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative/limit marker)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अभिवाञ्छितम्: desired, wished for
• अभिवाञ्छितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + वाञ्छित (प्रातिपदिक; अभि-√वाञ्छ् क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (desired)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sea-shore tīrtha of Saurāṣṭra/Prabhāsa (implied)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as the Ocean, personified and fearful, recedes; the shoreline expands, revealing fresh land and a calm horizon after tension.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• samudra (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the vast ocean is depicted as subordinate to dharmic command, highlighting divine sovereignty behind tīrtha-manifestation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A coastal/shoreline transformation is implied (ocean withdrawal), but the named tīrtha is not specified in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is etiological narration explaining a change in sacred landscape.