Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । अन्धकोऽपि परां विद्यां ज्ञात्वा शुक्रार्जितां तदा । केलीश्वर्याः प्रसादं च भक्तिजं बलवृद्धिदम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | andhako'pi parāṃ vidyāṃ jñātvā śukrārjitāṃ tadā | kelīśvaryāḥ prasādaṃ ca bhaktijaṃ balavṛddhidam

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า: ครั้นนั้น อันธกะก็ได้รู้วิทยาอันยิ่ง ซึ่งได้มาด้วยศุกราจารย์ และได้รับพระกรุณา (ปรสาท) แห่งเคลีศวรี—อันบังเกิดจากภักติ และยังความเพิ่มพูนแห่งพละกำลัง—จึงบังเกิดอานุภาพ

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अन्धकः: Andhaka
• अन्धकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक निपात (also/even)

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विद्यां विशेषयति

• विद्याम्: knowledge
• विद्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञात्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having known)

• शुक्रार्जिताम्: acquired from Śukra
• शुक्रार्जिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्र + अर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विद्यायाः विशेषण; अर्जित = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (acquired)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• केलीश्वर्याः: of Kelīśvarī
• केलीश्वर्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केलीश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रसादम्: grace/favor
• प्रसादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• भक्तिजम्: born of devotion
• भक्तिजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + ज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रसादस्य विशेषण (born of devotion)

• बलवृद्धिदम्: granting increase of strength
• बलवृद्धिदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल + वृद्धि + द (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रसादस्य विशेषण (giver of increase of strength)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kelīśvarī (prasāda granting bala-vṛddhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Andhaka receives esoteric vidyā from Śukra and simultaneously gains Kelīśvarī’s grace; a scene of initiation: Śukra as guru with staff and water-pot, Andhaka in attentive posture, and the Devī’s blessing descending as light, signifying strength increase.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Andhaka
• Śukra (Śukrācārya)
• Kelīśvarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power (bala) is shown as arising not only from learning (vidyā) but also from divine grace obtained through devotion—though its moral use depends on the recipient.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse begins a narrative episode (Andhaka and Kailāsa-related events) within Tīrthamāhātmya; no single tīrtha is explicitly named in the verse itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes vidyā (esoteric knowledge) and prasāda (divine grace) arising from bhakti.