Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गुणा एते प्रजायन्ते पानात्कृष्णांशसंभवात् । नित्यामृतस्यपानेन बलं स्वल्पं प्रजायते

Transliteration

guṇā ete prajāyante pānātkṛṣṇāṃśasaṃbhavāt | nityāmṛtasyapānena balaṃ svalpaṃ prajāyate

Translation

ഈ ഗുണങ്ങൾ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണൻ (വിഷ്ണു) അംശസംബവമായ ആ പാനീയത്തിന്റെ പാനത്തിൽ നിന്നാണ് ജനിക്കുന്നത്. എന്നാൽ സാധാരണ അമൃതം നിത്യം പാനം ചെയ്താൽ അല്പം ബലം മാത്രമേ ഉണ്ടാകൂ.

Word by Word

• guṇāḥ: qualities
• guṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ete: these
• ete: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural (demonstrative used adjectivally)

• prajāyante: are produced/arise
• prajāyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Plural, Atmanepada

• pānāt: from drinking
• pānāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• kṛṣṇa-aṃśa-saṃbhavāt: from (that) arising from Kṛṣṇa’s portion
• kṛṣṇa-aṃśa-saṃbhavāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative, Singular; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य अंशः → कृष्णांशः; कृष्णांशस्य सम्भवः) — “from the origin arising from Kṛṣṇa’s portion”

• nitya-amṛtasya-pānena: by drinking the perpetual nectar
• nitya-amṛtasya-pānena: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + amṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; समासः तत्पुरुषः (नित्यं अमृतम् → नित्यामृतम्; नित्यामृतस्य पानम्) — “by drinking the constant nectar”

• balam: strength
• balam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• svalpam: little/slight
• svalpam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular (agreeing with balam)

• prajāyate: arises
• prajāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

Gālava

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vessel of tīrtha-water is shown with a subtle emblem of Kṛṣṇa’s presence (peacock feather motif, śaṅkha-cakra aura); beside it, a contrasting vessel labeled 'amṛta' appears less luminous, illustrating the verse’s comparison.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa (as Viṣṇu’s aspect)
• Amṛta (nectar)
• Cāturmāsya (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (kāla) and divine association (Kṛṣṇa-aṃśa) amplify the fruit of a simple act; not all “nectar” is equal without dharmic context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage sits within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, but this verse emphasizes theological causation (Kṛṣṇa-aṃśa) rather than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Value and adopt Cāturmāsya observances (e.g., water-offering/service) because their potency is said to be divinely intensified.