Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

हुंकारगर्भे मत्स्यं च दृष्ट्वा तं स महेश्वरः । तेजसा स्तंभयामास वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

Transliteration

huṃkāragarbhe matsyaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā taṃ sa maheśvaraḥ | tejasā staṃbhayāmāsa vākyametaduvāca ha

Translation

ครั้นเห็นปลานั้นอยู่ในครรภ์แห่งเสียง “หุṃ” พระมหेशวรทรงหยุดมันไว้ด้วยเดชเพลิงแห่งรัศมี แล้วตรัสถ้อยคำนี้

Word by Word

• हुंकारगर्भे: in the womb/inside of the huṃkāra
• हुंकारगर्भे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुंकार-गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक; हुंकार + गर्भ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हुंकारस्य गर्भः)

• मत्स्यम्: the fish
• मत्स्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having seen’

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

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

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

• तेजसा: by (his) radiance/power
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्तंभयामास: stopped/immobilized
• स्तंभयामास: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तम्भ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाक्यम्)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed/then
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/quotative)

Speaker

Brahmā (narrating); Maheśvara is the actor within the story

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic moment: within a swirling ‘huṃ’ sound-visualization, the fish is seen; Maheśvara radiates fiery splendor, freezing the creature in place, then begins to speak.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Huṃkāra
• Matsya (fish)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine sound-power and radiance (tejas) are portrayed as forces that restrain chaos and reveal sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within the unnamed city/Kṣīrasāgara narrative frame; no explicit tīrtha name occurs here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it alludes to the potency of bīja-like sound (huṃ) as a sacred power.