Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

ततः संचिंतयामास पूरणं त्रिदशाधिपः । तस्य नागबिलस्यैव नैव किंचिदवैक्षत

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃciṃtayāmāsa pūraṇaṃ tridaśādhipaḥ | tasya nāgabilasyaiva naiva kiṃcidavaikṣata

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ത്രിദശാധിപൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) അതിനെ നിറയ്ക്കാനുള്ള മാർഗം ആലോചിച്ചു; എന്നാൽ ആ നാഗബിലം നിറയ്ക്കാൻ ഒരു ഉപായവും അവന് കാണാനായില്ല.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• संचिन्तयामास: he reflected
• संचिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'he pondered'

• पूरणम्: Pūraṇa (name)
• पूरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्रिदशाधिपः: lord of the thirty gods (Indra)
• त्रिदशाधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रिदशानाम् अधिपः)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नागबिलस्य: of the serpent-hole
• नागबिलस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग + बिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नागस्य बिलम् = serpent-hole)

• एव: only
• एव: Prayojaka (Restriction/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (only/just)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• एव: at all
• एव: Prayojaka (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (at all/indeed, with negation)

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (something/anything)

• अवैक्षत: he saw/observed
• अवैक्षत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-bila

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra stands at the mouth of a deep serpent-cave, contemplating how to fill it; the void appears bottomless, with nāga motifs carved in rock.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Tridaśādhipa)
• Nāga-bila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain sacred realities resist even divine manipulation, implying the tīrtha’s protected, providential character.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāga-bila of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, portrayed as difficult to obstruct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse narrates Indra’s inability to find a method.