Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वाभिमंत्र्याथ नादबिंदुसमुद्भवैः । मंत्रैराथर्वणैस्तोयं पानार्थं चार्पयत्ततः

Transliteration

evamuktvābhimaṃtryātha nādabiṃdusamudbhavaiḥ | maṃtrairātharvaṇaistoyaṃ pānārthaṃ cārpayattataḥ

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞ ശേഷം, നാദ-ബിന്ദുവിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന ആഥർവണ മന്ത്രങ്ങളാൽ ജലം അഭിമന്ത്രിച്ച്, പാനാർത്ഥമായി അത് അർപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: "thus")

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having said)

• अभिमन्त्र्य: having enchanted (with mantras)
• अभिमन्त्र्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + मन्त्र् (धातु) + क्त्वा/ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having consecrated/enchanted)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha/Anukrama (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/क्रमसूचक (then/thereupon)

• नादबिन्दुसमुद्भवैः: by (mantras) arising from nāda and bindu
• नादबिन्दुसमुद्भवैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाद (प्रातिपदिक) + बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (समुद्भव-शब्दः पुं); तृतीया विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: नादबिन्दुभ्यां समुद्भवाः = "arisen from sound and bindu"

• मन्त्रैः: with mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• आथर्वणैः: Atharvan (Atharva-vedic)
• आथर्वणैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आथर्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणं मन्त्रैः (Atharvan/atharvaṇa-type)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पानार्थम्: for drinking
• पानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण प्रयुक्तं प्रयोजनवाचक अव्यय (for the purpose of drinking)

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

• अर्पयत्: he offered/presented
• अर्पयत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्पय् (धातु; णिजन्त)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Kāla/Anukrama (Temporal/sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/काल/क्रमवाचक (thereupon/from then)

Speaker

Narrative context (agent is Śākalya per sequence; speaker not explicitly tagged in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual specialist, after speaking, holds a vessel of water and consecrates it with Atharvanic mantras; subtle imagery of nāda (vibration) and bindu (seed-point) radiates over the water before it is offered for drinking.

Characters & Entities

• Atharva (Ātharvaṇa mantras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra is portrayed as efficacious in transforming substances; it also warns that sacred power can be misused when driven by anger.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a narrative action within the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhimantraṇa (consecration) of water with mantras and offering it for drinking.