Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

वालखिल्या इति ख्याताः सर्वेंऽगुष्ठप्रमाणकाः । तपोवीर्यसमोपेताः शापानुग्रहकारकाः

Transliteration

vālakhilyā iti khyātāḥ sarveṃ'guṣṭhapramāṇakāḥ | tapovīryasamopetāḥ śāpānugrahakārakāḥ

Translation

Ils sont renommés sous le nom de Vālakhilyas : tous de la taille d’un pouce, pourvus de la puissance née de l’austérité, capables de maudire comme d’accorder la grâce.

Word by Word

• वालखिल्याः: Vālakhilya sages
• वालखिल्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (ऋषिविशेष-नाम)

• इति: thus/so called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ख्याताः: are known
• ख्याताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) → ख्यात (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘renowned/called’

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अङ्गुष्ठप्रमाणकाः: thumb-sized
• अङ्गुष्ठप्रमाणकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ + प्रमाणक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अङ्गुष्ठः प्रमाणं येषाम्)

• तपोवीर्यसमोपेताः: endowed with ascetic energy and potency
• तपोवीर्यसमोपेताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + वीर्य + सम् + उप + इ (धातु) → समोपेत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः (तपः-वीर्येण समोपेताः = endowed with ascetic power and vigor)

• शापानुग्रहकारकाः: givers of curses and blessings
• शापानुग्रहकारकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाप + अनुग्रह + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (शापः च अनुग्रहः च) + ‘कारक’ (makers)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/authority voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A host of thumb-sized sages appears—radiant, stern, and composed—each carrying the aura of intense austerity, suggesting their dual capacity to curse and bless.

Characters & Entities

• Vālakhilya sages

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas confers real spiritual authority; even those of small form can wield great dharmic power through austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in the verse; the focus is on the sages’ identity and spiritual potency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; it highlights tapas (austerity) as the source of spiritual power.