Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

कुरुष्व वचनं शीघ्रं भावनीयं न चान्यथा । यत्त्वया पांसुभिः पूर्वं विवरं परिपूरितः

Transliteration

kuruṣva vacanaṃ śīghraṃ bhāvanīyaṃ na cānyathā | yattvayā pāṃsubhiḥ pūrvaṃ vivaraṃ paripūritaḥ

Translation

Accomplis vite ma parole : ceci doit être gardé en mémoire, et non autrement ; l’ouverture que jadis tu as comblée de poussière est la clef du remède.

Word by Word

• कुरुष्व: do; perform
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; ‘कुरु’ + ‘स्व’ (आत्मनेपद-चिह्न)

• वचनम्: the instruction; word
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverb ‘quickly’

• भावनी्यम्: should be kept in mind
• भावनी्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √भू (धातु) / भावनीय (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) = ‘to be contemplated/kept in mind’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) = ‘otherwise’

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• पांसुभिः: with dust; with sand
• पांसुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (Temporal modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = ‘formerly/before’

• विवरम्: hole; opening
• विवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• परिपूरितः: (was) completely filled
• परिपूरितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-√पूर् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) — here agreeing with implied agent/act; sense: ‘was filled up’ (passive)

Speaker

Divine voice (Ākāśavāṇī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgabila (implied access-point)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sealed or dust-filled crevice is shown as the focal object; Indra is urged to act quickly, with the divine voice indicating the exact spot—hinting that the blocked opening is the gateway to the cure.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Vivara (sealed opening/cavity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification often requires reversing a prior wrong and following divine counsel with urgency and clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse hints at a concealed access-point leading to the Hāṭakeśvara sacred realm, clarified in the next verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Immediate obedience to the divine instruction; the practical step concerns the previously sealed opening (vivara).