Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

वारुणेन तु मन्त्रेण वीक्ष यन्वसुधातलम् । ततो निर्भिद्य वसुधां भूरितोयं विनिर्गतम्

Transliteration

vāruṇena tu mantreṇa vīkṣa yanvasudhātalam | tato nirbhidya vasudhāṃ bhūritoyaṃ vinirgatam

Translation

വാരുണമന്ത്രം ജപിച്ച് ഭൂതലത്തെ നോക്കി അദ്ദേഹം ഭൂമിയെ പിളർത്തി; അപ്പോൾ അവിടെ നിന്ന് ധാരാളം ജലം പൊങ്ങി പുറത്തുവന്നു।

Word by Word

• वारुणेन: with the Varuṇa-related
• वारुणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; ‘मन्त्रेण’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (Varuṇa-related)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• मन्त्रेण: by a mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• वीक्ष्य: having looked at
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having looked at)

• यन्: which
• यन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे—‘which’ (object of ‘वीक्ष्य’)

• वसुधातलम्: the surface of the earth
• वसुधातलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा-तल (प्रातिपदिक; वसुधा + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वसुधायाः तलम्)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb ‘then/from there’)

• निर्भिद्य: having pierced/split
• निर्भिद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-भिद् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having split open)

• वसुधाम्: the earth
• वसुधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• भूरितोयम्: abundant water
• भूरितोयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूरि-तोय (प्रातिपदिक; भूरि + तोय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (भूरि तोयम्)

• विनिर्गतम्: came out/issued forth
• विनिर्गतम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निर्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘भूरितोयम्’ इति कर्तृविशेषणम् (having come forth)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāruṇa-prādurbhāva-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha, invoking the Vāruṇa mantra, fixes his gaze on the ground; the earth splits and a powerful surge of clear water erupts, transforming the place into a sacred spring/stream.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vasiṣṭha
• Varuṇa (via Vāruṇa mantra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra guided by tapas is portrayed as a lawful sacred technology that restores life-giving waters and reestablishes tīrtha purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī-associated tīrtha is glorified as a place where Vāruṇa-mantra power manifests water, reaffirming the site’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of the Vāruṇa mantra (a Varuṇa-related water-invoking mantra) is explicitly mentioned as the operative remedial practice.