Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अथ चैकोऽर्धनिर्दग्ध आयुःशेषेण दर्दुरः । तस्माज्जलाद्विनिष्क्रांतो दृष्टो देवैश्च दूरतः

Transliteration

atha caiko'rdhanirdagdha āyuḥśeṣeṇa darduraḥ | tasmājjalādviniṣkrāṃto dṛṣṭo devaiśca dūrataḥ

Translation

すると、半ば焼けただれ、余命の残りによってのみ生きる一匹の蛙がその水から這い出し、神々は遠くよりそれを見とめた。

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• एकः: one
• एकः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; दर्दुरः इति विशेषणम्

• अर्ध: half
• अर्ध: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (half); उत्तरपद-विशेषणार्थ

• निर्दग्धः: burnt
• निर्दग्धः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + दह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; दर्दुरः इति विशेषणम्

• आयुः: of life
• आयुः: Sambandha (Genitive in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• शेषेण: with the remainder
• शेषेण: Karaṇa/Hetu (Means/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; (आयुःशेषेण) हेतौ/साधने

• दर्दुरः: a frog
• दर्दुरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्दुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन

• जलात्: from the water
• जलात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचन

• विनिष्क्रान्तः: came out
• विनिष्क्रान्तः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + निस् + क्रम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे (came out)

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Karman (Patient of seeing)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मणि भाव (was seen)

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• दूरतः: from a distance
• दूरतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (from afar)

Speaker

Narrator (within Śuka’s recitation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnamed jalāśaya/kuṇḍa in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A half-burnt frog, skin scorched, crawls out of the water; in the distance the gods watch, poised to question, the air shimmering with residual heat.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Frog (dardura)
• Jalāśaya (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a small surviving witness can reveal truth; providence preserves a remnant to complete the unfolding of dharma and narrative justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The jalāśaya associated with Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 90).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse prepares for inquiry and testimony about Agni’s location.