Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठोऽपि परिज्ञाय प्रेषितं गाधिसूनुना । ब्रह्मास्त्रं मृत्यवे तेन शुचिर्भूत्वा ततः परम्

Transliteration

vasiṣṭho'pi parijñāya preṣitaṃ gādhisūnunā | brahmāstraṃ mṛtyave tena śucirbhūtvā tataḥ param

Translation

Vasiṣṭha juga, setelah memahami bahawa Brahmāstra telah dilepaskan oleh putera Gādhi (Viśvāmitra) untuk membawa maut, terlebih dahulu menyucikan dirinya, lalu melangkah maju (untuk menangkisnya).

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थ-निपात) = "also/even"

• परिज्ञाय: having understood
• परिज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having known; अव्ययभाव

• प्रेषितम्: sent; dispatched
• प्रेषितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-इष् (धातु) → प्रेषित (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (qualifying implied "अस्त्रम्")

• गाधिसूनुना: by the son of Gādhi (Viśvāmitra)
• गाधिसूनुना: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाधि (प्रातिपदिक) + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गाधेः सूनुः = "son of Gādhi"

• ब्रह्मास्त्रम्: the Brahmā-weapon (brahmāstra)
• ब्रह्मास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ब्रह्मणः अस्त्रम्

• मृत्यवे: for death; unto Death
• मृत्यवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• तेन: by that; with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of Vasiṣṭha)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) = having become

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• परम्: afterwards; further
• परम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (क्रियाविशेषण) = "afterwards/further" (accusative used adverbially)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Tīrthamāhātmya context; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha, serene and radiant, pauses amid chaos; he performs purification—calm posture, water vessel/ācamana gesture—before engaging the deadly Brahmāstra released by Viśvāmitra.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Viśvāmitra
• Gādhi
• Brahmāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in crisis, spiritual power is grounded in purity and discernment; dharma begins with inner discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly named in this line; it supports the wider Tīrthamāhātmya narrative framework of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied śauca (purificatory preparation) before deploying mantra/astric power; no explicit vrata or dāna is stated.