Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

एकदा भगवाञ्छक्रो न ववर्ष धरातले । आनर्तविषये कृत्स्ने यावद्वादशवत्सराः

Transliteration

ekadā bhagavāñchakro na vavarṣa dharātale | ānartaviṣaye kṛtsne yāvadvādaśavatsarāḥ

Translation

ഒരിക്കൽ ഭഗവാൻ ശക്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) ഭൂമിയിൽ മഴ പെയ്യിച്ചില്ല; സമസ്ത ആനർത്ത ദേശമൊട്ടാകെ പന്ത്രണ്ടു വർഷം വരെ.

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (once/at one time)

• भगवान्: the blessed/lordly one
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; इन्द्रस्य नाम

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• ववर्ष: rained
• ववर्ष: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• धरातले: on the surface of the earth
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धरायाः तलम्)

• आनर्तविषये: in the Ānarta region
• आनर्तविषये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त + विषय (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आनर्तस्य विषयः)

• कृत्स्ने: entire, whole
• कृत्स्ने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying विषये)

• यावत्: up to, for as long as
• यावत्: Kala-avadhi (Time limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिसूचक (up to/as long as)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; विशेषण (qualifying वत्सराः)

• वत्सराः: years
• वत्सराः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta region (context for forthcoming tīrtha remedy)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Parched Ānarta landscape: cracked earth, withered crops, anxious villagers; above, Indra’s cloud-chariot withheld, dark clouds absent; a sense of collective suffering and impending pilgrimage/ritual response.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Ānarta region

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order and human suffering (like drought) are framed within divine governance and the moral causality explored in Purāṇic narratives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the crisis-context within the Adhyāya 124 tīrtha narrative; the featured tīrtha remains Mukhāra Tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it describes a prolonged drought affecting Ānarta.