Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ततः संशोषितस्तेन स समुद्रो महात्मना । मित्रावरुणपुत्रेण सा प्रोक्ता पुरतः स्थिता

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃśoṣitastena sa samudro mahātmanā | mitrāvaruṇaputreṇa sā proktā purataḥ sthitā

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ആ മഹാത്മാവായ മിത്ര-വരുണപുത്രൻ സമുദ്രത്തെയും ശോഷിപ്പിച്ചു; ‘ശോഷണീ-വിദ്യ’ ഉച്ചരിക്കപ്പെട്ടപ്പോൾ അത് അവന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ പ്രത്യക്ഷമായി നിലകൊണ്ടു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• संशोषितः: was dried up
• संशोषितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-शुष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (समुद्रः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: that/he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समुद्रः: ocean
• समुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तेन इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• मित्रावरुणपुत्रेण: by the son of Mitra and Varuṇa
• मित्रावरुणपुत्रेण: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र + वरुण + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मित्रावरुणयोः पुत्रः)

• सा: she/that (vidyā)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रोक्ता: was taught/uttered
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• पुरतः: in front
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (in front/before)

• स्थिताः: stood/was present
• स्थिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि कृदन्त (Past Participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māhitthī / Māhittha (implied locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya stands or sits in fierce tapas at the shore; the ocean recedes, seabed exposed; waves freeze into stillness; before him appears the personified Vidyā/Śakti as a radiant feminine form or luminous glyph-body.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya (Mitrāvaruṇa-putra)
• Samudra (ocean)
• Śoṣaṇī-vidyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Realized sages channel mantra-śakti to reshape nature for dharma; miraculous acts in Purāṇas serve to reveal the potency of tapas and divine knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the origin-story leading to Māhittha’s significance; it foregrounds Agastya’s power rather than naming a particular tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invocation/utterance (prokti) of a powerful vidyā is referenced, but no ritual sequence is specified in this verse.