Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ततः संप्रस्थितो हृष्टो धृत्वा मनसि सागरम् । स्नानार्थं तं समादाय कुठारं भास्करप्रभम्

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃprasthito hṛṣṭo dhṛtvā manasi sāgaram | snānārthaṃ taṃ samādāya kuṭhāraṃ bhāskaraprabham

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം അദ്ദേഹം ഹർഷത്തോടെ പുറപ്പെട്ടു; മനസ്സിൽ സാഗരത്തെ ലക്ഷ്യമായി നിശ്ചയിച്ചു. സ്നാനാർത്ഥം സൂര്യപ്രഭപോലെ ദീപ്തമായ ആ കുഠാരം എടുത്തുകൊണ്ട് യാത്രയായി.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kala-sambandha (Time-link/कालसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/हेतुवाचक (adverb: thereafter)

• संप्रस्थितः: having set out; departed
• संप्रस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हृष्टः: joyful
• हृष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• धृत्वा: having held/kept
• धृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• मनसि: in (his) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सागरम्: the ocean
• सागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (स्नानस्य अर्थः/स्नानाय अर्थः)

• तम्: that (ocean)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समादाय: having taken up
• समादाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• कुठारम्: axe
• कुठारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुठार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भास्करप्रभम्: sun-bright; radiant like the sun
• भास्करप्रभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास्कर + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भास्करस्य प्रभा यस्य/भास्करप्रभः) विशेषण (कुठारम्)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāgara-snāna (intended)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / dvijendrāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paraśurāma departs joyfully toward the sea, the ocean envisioned in his mind; he carries a sun-bright axe, suggesting both heroic energy and impending transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma
• Sāgara (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha-journey begins with inner resolve (saṅkalpa) and is fulfilled through purifying acts like snāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative points toward a sea-tīrtha (sāgara-snānārtha), within the Adhyāya 94 tīrtha context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), especially connected with the ocean.