Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नान्यथा पूरितुं शक्यो बिलोऽयं त्रिदशाधिप । तं मुक्त्वा पर्वत श्रेष्ठं सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्

Transliteration

nānyathā pūrituṃ śakyo bilo'yaṃ tridaśādhipa | taṃ muktvā parvata śreṣṭhaṃ satyametanmayoditam

Translation

ഹേ ത്രിദശാധിപാ! ഈ ബിലം മറ്റൊരു മാർഗ്ഗത്താലും നിറയ്ക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല. ആ പർവതശ്രേഷ്ഠനെ മോചിപ്പിക്കാതെ ഇത് സിദ്ധിക്കുകയില്ല—ഇതാണ് ഞാൻ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്ന സത്യം.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• pūritum: to fill
• pūritum: Prayojana/Anukūla-kriyā (Infinitival complement/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūr (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (infinitive), कर्तरि प्रयोगः; अर्थः—पूरयितुम् (to fill)

• śakyaḥ: possible/able
• śakyaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < √śak (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-भावे), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• bilaḥ: cave, hole
• bilaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tridaśādhipa: O lord of the gods
• tridaśādhipa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रिदशानाम् अधिपः)

• tam: that (one/it)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• muktvā: having left
• muktvā: Kriyā (Gerundial subordinate action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having left/released)

• parvata: O mountain
• parvata: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• śreṣṭham: best, excellent
• śreṣṭham: Sambodhana (Vocative qualifier/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (parvata)

• satyam: truth; true
• satyam: Karta (Predicative nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेयम् (it is true)

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• uditam: said/uttered
• uditam: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < √vad/√ud (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (etat)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator (addressing Indra as tridaśādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-bila (within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Tridaśādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, yawning cavern (bila) before the gods; a speaker solemnly declaring that only by releasing/bringing the ‘best mountain’ can it be filled—an oath-like moment of cosmic logistics.

Characters & Entities

• Tridaśādhipa (Indra)
• Nāga-bila
• Parvata-śreṣṭha (best mountain—Raktaśṛṅga implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some dharmic tasks have a specific ordained means; forcing alternatives fails, while truthfully following the destined method preserves sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāga-bila is central, its very ‘filling’ portrayed as crucial to the sanctity and safety of the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it emphasizes the necessary sacred action—releasing/bringing the mountain to fill the cavern.