Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तः स तेनाथ वाजिकर्णं समाश्रितः । लघुर्भूत्वाऽपठद्वेदान्भास्करस्य मुखात्ततः

Transliteration

evamuktaḥ sa tenātha vājikarṇaṃ samāśritaḥ | laghurbhūtvā'paṭhadvedānbhāskarasya mukhāttataḥ

Translation

ଏପରି ଉପଦେଶ ପାଇ ସେ ବାଜିକର୍ଣ୍ଣକୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କଲା; ଲଘୁ (ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ) ହୋଇ ପରେ ଭାସ୍କରଙ୍କ ମୁଖରୁ ବେଦମାନଙ୍କୁ ପଢ଼ିଲା।

Word by Word

• evam-uktaḥ: thus addressed
• evam-uktaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier of 'saḥ'/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: evam (अव्यय) + ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vac (धा॒तु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त: 'thus spoken/addressed'

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tena: by him
• tena: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; 'by him'

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (discourse particle): 'then/now'

• vāji-karṇam: Vājikarṇa
• vāji-karṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāji (प्रातिपदिक) + karṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; proper name/epithet 'Vājikarṇa'

• samāśritaḥ: having resorted to
• samāśritaḥ: Kriya (State/result/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√śri (धा॒तु) → samāśrita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'having resorted to/taken refuge in'

• laghuḥ: light (in body)
• laghuḥ: Visheshana (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: laghu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; predicate with bhūtvā

• bhūtvā: having become
• bhūtvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धा॒तु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): 'having become'

• apaṭhat: recited, studied
• apaṭhat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paṭh (धा॒tu)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vedān: the Vedas
• vedān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• bhāskarasya: of Bhāskara (the Sun)
• bhāskarasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• mukhāt: from (the) mouth
• mukhāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'thereafter/then'

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage, now subtle and light, is shown near the ear of a divine horse (Vājikarṇa), while Sūrya’s radiant face speaks Vedic syllables that stream as luminous letters into the sage.

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Vājikarṇa
• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine empowerment can remove obstacles to learning, enabling direct reception of sacred knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vājikarṇa is highlighted as a sacred locus/means within the narrative, associated with Sūrya’s transmission of the Vedas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Veda-study/recitation is the core practice described, enabled by the granted siddhi (laghimā).