Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अथ ते वालखिल्याख्या मुनयः संशितव्रताः । एकां समिधमादाय साहाय्यार्थं प्रजापतेः । प्रस्थिता यज्ञवाटं तं भारार्ताः क्लेशसंयुताः

Transliteration

atha te vālakhilyākhyā munayaḥ saṃśitavratāḥ | ekāṃ samidhamādāya sāhāyyārthaṃ prajāpateḥ | prasthitā yajñavāṭaṃ taṃ bhārārtāḥ kleśasaṃyutāḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ വ്രതത്തിൽ ദൃഢരായ ‘വാലഖില്യ’ എന്ന മുനിമാർ, ഓരോരുത്തരും ഒരു സമിധ എടുത്തുകൊണ്ട് പ്രജാപതിയെ സഹായിക്കാനായി ആ യജ്ഞവാടത്തിലേക്ക് പുറപ്പെട്ടു; ഭാരത്തിൽ വലയുകയും ക്ലേശത്തിൽ പീഡിതരാകുകയും ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Adhikaraṇa/कालाधिकरण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (then)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta/कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वालखिल्याख्याः: called Vālakhilyas
• वालखिल्याख्याः: Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वालखिल्य + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘वालखिल्य-आख्याः’ = वालखिल्य-नामकाः; विशेषण (मुनयः)

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta/कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• संशितव्रताः: of strict vows
• संशितव्रताः: Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-√शा/शि (धातु) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि क्त (PPP) ‘संशित’ + ‘व्रत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (मुनयः)

• एकाम्: one
• एकाम्: Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (समिधम्)

• समिधम्: a fuel-stick
• समिधम्: Karma/कर्म (object of ‘आदाय’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समिध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā/पूर्वकालक्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√दा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा/ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• साहाय्यार्थम्: for help
• साहाय्यार्थम्: Prayojana/प्रयोजन
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक

• प्रजापतेः: of Prajāpati (Dakṣa)
• प्रजापतेः: Sambandha/सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रस्थिताः: set out, departed
• प्रस्थिताः: Karta/कर्ता (they, having set out)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—भूतकर्मणि क्त (PPP) प्रयोगे कर्तरि; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• यज्ञवाटम्: the sacrificial enclosure
• यज्ञवाटम्: Karma/कर्म (goal/object of going)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + वाट (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘यज्ञस्य वाटः’

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma/कर्म (anaphoric)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशक (referring to ‘यज्ञवाटम्’)

• भारार्ताः: distressed by the load
• भारार्ताः: Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भार + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘भारेण आर्ताः’ विशेषण (ते/मुनयः)

• क्लेशसंयुताः: afflicted with hardship
• क्लेशसंयुताः: Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्लेश + संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: कृदन्त—सम्-√युज् + क्त (PPP) ‘संयुक्त’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘क्लेशेन संयुक्ताः’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style narration within Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of diminutive Vālakhilya sages, each carrying a single samidh, trudges toward the yajña enclosure; their faces show strain yet unwavering resolve; dust and heat shimmer on the path.

Characters & Entities

• Vālakhilya Munis
• Prajāpati (Dakṣa)
• Yajñavāṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the smallest offering carried with vow-bound sincerity becomes sacred service (seva) in support of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes movement toward a yajña-vāṭa within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative; the tīrtha name is not explicit here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Carrying samidh (fuel for the sacred fire) for a yajña—an implied act of assisting sacrificial performance.