Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 126

Devanagari script

अथ तस्य क्षणाज्जातं शरीरं मलवर्जितम् । दुर्गन्धश्च गतो नाशं तेजोवृद्धिर्बभूव ह

Transliteration

atha tasya kṣaṇājjātaṃ śarīraṃ malavarjitam | durgandhaśca gato nāśaṃ tejovṛddhirbabhūva ha

Translation

അന്നേ ക്ഷണത്തിൽ അവന്റെ ശരീരം മലരഹിതമായി; ദുർഗന്ധം നശിച്ചു, അവന്റെ തേജസ് അത്യന്തം വർദ്ധിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Adhikarana (Discourse/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक) = 'then'

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षणात्: in a moment/from a moment
• क्षणात्: Apadana (Source/Time-from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• जातम्: born/arisen
• जातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (शरीरम्-विशेषण)

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मल-वर्जितम्: free from impurity
• मल-वर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त; √वृज्/√वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (शरीरम्-विशेषण)

• दुर्गन्धः: bad smell
• दुर्गन्धः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (दुर्गन्धः-विशेषण/विधेय)

• नाशम्: to destruction
• नाशम्: Karma (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तेजः-वृद्धिः: increase of radiance
• तेजः-वृद्धिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• बभूव: became/occurred
• बभूव: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पादपूरण/निपात) = emphatic particle

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara at Nāgabila

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visible metamorphosis: Indra’s body becomes spotless, fragrance replaces stench, and a radiant aura expands around him within the cave-temple.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Hāṭakeśvara (implied)
• Gaṅgā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-merit is inner and outer purification—impurity falls away and spiritual radiance (tejas) grows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Hāṭakeśvara–Nāgabila tīrtha context, where worship and Gaṅgā association grant immediate purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse states the fruit (phala) of the worship and sacred contact.