Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

पूर्णश्रोत्रं जले नैव व्याकुलांगं व्यवस्थितम् । निहन्मि येन शीघ्रं च नान्यच्छिद्रं प्रलक्षये

Transliteration

pūrṇaśrotraṃ jale naiva vyākulāṃgaṃ vyavasthitam | nihanmi yena śīghraṃ ca nānyacchidraṃ pralakṣaye

Translation

അവൻ ജലത്തിൽ നിൽക്കുന്നു; ചെവികൾ വെള്ളം നിറഞ്ഞവ, അവയവങ്ങൾ വ്യാകുലവും അസ്ഥിരവും. ‘ഏത് മാർഗ്ഗത്തിൽ ഞാൻ വേഗത്തിൽ വധിക്കാം? മറ്റൊരു ദൗർബല്യസ്ഥാനം എനിക്കു കാണുന്നില്ല.’

Word by Word

• पूर्णश्रोत्रम्: with ears filled/blocked
• पूर्णश्रोत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa + śrotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—पूर्ण + श्रोत्र (विशेषण-विशेष्य)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• व्याकुलाङ्गम्: with agitated limbs
• व्याकुलाङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyākula + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—व्याकुल + अङ्ग (विशेषण-विशेष्य)

• व्यवस्थितम्: placed/positioned, standing
• व्यवस्थितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘(तं/तत्)’ इति कर्मपदस्य विशेषण

• निहन्मि: I strike/kill
• निहन्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• येन: by which/with which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतु/करणवाचक

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्यत्: other, another
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘छिद्रम्’ इति विशेषण

• छिद्रम्: hole, opening
• छिद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chidra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रलक्षये: I notice/observe
• प्रलक्षये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual voice describing Viśvāmitra’s intent)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha stands immersed with water filling his ears; his posture is steady yet momentarily unguarded. Viśvāmitra watches, searching for a ‘chidra’ (opening) to strike.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Nadī (the river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked agitation and fixation on harming others blinds discernment; dharma calls for restraint even amid conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Tīrthamāhātmya framing (sacred-place narration), but this single line does not name a specific tīrtha explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative description of intent and circumstance.