Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

नागांतकस्ततः प्राह मातरं चिंतयातुराम् । आनीतं विद्धि पीयूषं मातर्मे देहि भोजनम्

Transliteration

nāgāṃtakastataḥ prāha mātaraṃ ciṃtayāturām | ānītaṃ viddhi pīyūṣaṃ mātarme dehi bhojanam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ നാഗാന്തകൻ (ഗരുഡൻ) ചിന്തയാൽ വ്യാകുലയായ മാതാവിനോട് പറഞ്ഞു—‘അമ്മേ, പീയൂഷം (അമൃതം) ഞാൻ കൊണ്ടുവന്നിരിക്കുന്നു എന്നു അറിക; അമ്മേ, എനിക്ക് ഭക്ഷണം തരിക।’

Word by Word

• nāgāntakaḥ: Nāgāntaka (Garuḍa)
• nāgāntakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga + antaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘nāgānām antakaḥ’ (slayer of serpents)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (from there/then)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mātaram: mother
• mātaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• cintayā: with worry
• cintayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण (by means of)

• āturām: distressed
• āturām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ānītam: brought
• ānītam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā + nī (धातु) → ānīta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• viddhi: know (you)
• viddhi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pīyūṣam: nectar
• pīyūṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīyūṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• mātar: O mother
• mātar: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; enclitic pronoun

• dehi: give
• dehi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhojanam: food
• bhojanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Garuḍa (Nāgāntaka)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa (Nāgāntaka) stands before Vinatā, holding a radiant amṛta vessel; Vinatā’s face shifts from worry to relief; Garuḍa asks for food after the arduous quest.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa (Nāgāntaka)
• Vinatā
• pīyūṣa/amṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great achievements undertaken for dharma are grounded in care for one’s mother and household duty—heroic action and simple service coexist.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse marks the culmination of the amṛta-acquisition episode within the broader Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it reports the bringing of amṛta and a request for food.