Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

एतत्कल्पाग्निसंकाशं धर्तुं शक्नोति नापरः । विना वैश्वानरं तस्माद्दधात्वेष सनातनम्

Transliteration

etatkalpāgnisaṃkāśaṃ dhartuṃ śaknoti nāparaḥ | vinā vaiśvānaraṃ tasmāddadhātveṣa sanātanam

Translation

ഇത് കല്പാന്താഗ്നിയെപ്പോലെ; മറ്റാരും ഇതിനെ ധരിക്കുവാൻ കഴിയില്ല. അതിനാൽ വൈശ്വാനരൻ (അഗ്നി) ഈ സനാതന ശക്തിയെ സ്വീകരിച്ച് ധരിക്കട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कल्प-अग्नि-संकाशम्: like the fire at the end of an aeon
• कल्प-अग्नि-संकाशम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः) ‘कल्पाग्निसदृशम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धर्तुम्: to hold/bear
• धर्तुम्: Prayojana/Anvaya (Purpose complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• शक्नोति: is able
• शक्नोति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd sg, Parasmaipada)

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

• अपरः: another (person)
• अपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• विना: without
• विना: Vinā-sambandha (Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• वैश्वानरम्: Vaiśvānara (Agni)
• वैश्वानरम्: Karma (Object of ‘vinā’/excluded)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśvānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Anvaya (Reason/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• दधातु: let (him) place/assign
• दधातु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Imperative, 3rd sg, Parasmaipada)

• एषः: this one (he)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• सनातनम्: the eternal (thing)
• सनातनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaiśvānara (Agni) as the dhāraṇa of tejas

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing, kalpāgni-like radiance is shown as too intense for any being; only Vaiśvānara-Agni stands capable, receiving the eternal power like a sacred deposit.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vaiśvānara (Agni)
• Kalpāgni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power must be entrusted to the worthy vessel; dharma requires proper receptacles and disciplined transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is part of a larger sacred narrative often used to sanctify places associated with Agni and Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; Agni’s role is theological (bearing and conveying divine potency).