Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं यथा स पयसांनिधिः । अगस्त्येन पुरा पीतो देवकार्यप्रसिद्धये

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātaṃ yathā sa payasāṃnidhiḥ | agastyena purā pīto devakāryaprasiddhaye

Translation

ସୂତ କହିଲେ—ଦେବକାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ସିଦ୍ଧି ପାଇଁ ପୁରାତନକାଳରେ ଅଗସ୍ତ୍ୟ ଯେପରି ସେ ଜଳନିଧି ସମୁଦ୍ରକୁ ପାନ କରିଥିଲେ, ସେ ସବୁ ମୁଁ ତୁମମାନଙ୍କୁ କହିଦେଲି।

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (object)

• vaḥ: to you
• vaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी (4th/6th case), बहुवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; अत्र सम्प्रदानार्थे (to you)

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (etat)

• ākhyātam: has been narrated
• ākhyātam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + khyā (धातु) + क्त (PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावे (has been narrated/told)

• yathā: how/as
• yathā: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकार/यथा-सम्बन्ध (as/how)

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

• payasām: of waters
• payasām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: payas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन

• nidhiḥ: treasure, repository
• nidhiḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• agastyena: by Agastya
• agastyena: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly)

• pītaḥ: was drunk
• pītaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (धातु) + क्त (PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि (was drunk)

• deva-kārya-prasiddhaye: for the accomplishment/renown of the gods' task
• deva-kārya-prasiddhaye: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + kārya + prasiddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (देवानां कार्यस्य प्रसिद्धिः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāyasāṃnidhi (Ocean as ‘reservoir of waters’)—episode reference

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta addressing an audience of sages, gesturing as he recounts Agastya’s astonishing act: the small-statured r̥ṣi holding a kamaṇḍalu, drinking the vast ocean as devas watch in awe; the seabed revealed with nāgas and shells.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Agastya
• ocean (payasāṃ-nidhi)
• Devāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great sages act for loka-saṅgraha—cosmic welfare—supporting divine order through extraordinary tapas and power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse recalls Agastya’s famed ocean episode as sacred history supporting the preceding tīrtha account (Nāgara Khaṇḍa context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative recap linking Agastya’s deed to divine purpose.