Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अथ तं मातलिर्दृष्ट्वा विसंज्ञं वलघातिनम् । प्राङ्मुखं च रथं चक्रे संस्मरन्सारथेर्नयम्

Transliteration

atha taṃ mātalirdṛṣṭvā visaṃjñaṃ valaghātinam | prāṅmukhaṃ ca rathaṃ cakre saṃsmaransārathernayam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ മാതലി, ബോധം നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ട വലഘാതിൻ ഇന്ദ്രനെ കണ്ടു, സാരഥിയുടെ നയം ഓർത്ത് രഥത്തെ കിഴക്കോട്ടു മുഖമാക്കി തിരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक निपात (then/now)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मातलिः: Mātali (Indra’s charioteer)
• मातलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); धातु: दृश्—दर्शने (having seen)

• विसंज्ञम्: unconscious
• विसंज्ञम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + संज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (tam)

• वलघातिनम्: slayer of Vala
• वलघातिनम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल + घातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘वलस्य घातिन्’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (epithet)

• प्राङ्मुखम्: facing east/forward
• प्राङ्मुखम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राङ् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (‘प्राङ् मुखः’ = east-facing/forward-facing); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (ratham)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चक्रे: made, turned
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; धातु: कृ—करणे (to make/do)

• संस्मरन्: remembering
• संस्मरन्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्मृ (धातु) → संस्मरन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (while remembering)

• सारथेः: of the charioteer
• सारथेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नयम्: method, conduct, strategy
• नयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mātali, the skilled charioteer, sees Indra unconscious and swiftly turns the chariot to face east, reins taut, horses pivoting; the banner swings as the chariot reorients.

Characters & Entities

• Mātali
• Indra (Valaghātin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes skilled duty (naya): even in crisis, right conduct and trained strategy protect life and mission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it remains within the Mahātmya’s narrative progression.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.