Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अगस्त्येन विना नैष शोषं यास्यति सागरः । तस्मात्संप्रार्थयामोत्र कृत्ये गत्वा मुनीश्वरम्

Transliteration

agastyena vinā naiṣa śoṣaṃ yāsyati sāgaraḥ | tasmātsaṃprārthayāmotra kṛtye gatvā munīśvaram

Translation

اگستیہ کے بغیر یہ سمندر خشک نہیں ہوگا۔ اس لیے اس کام کے لیے ہم چل کر اُس مُنیِشور سے عاجزی کے ساتھ درخواست کریں۔

Word by Word

• अगस्त्येन: by Agastya
• अगस्त्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपपद) — governs तृतीया/पञ्चमी; here with तृतीया

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — negation

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• शोषम्: drying up; desiccation
• शोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यास्यति: will go/undergo
• यास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सागरः: the ocean
• सागरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; एषः इति विशेष्य

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb) — 'therefore/from that reason'

• संप्रार्थयामः: we beseech
• संप्रार्थयामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + अर्थय् (धातु; नामधातु from अर्थ)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• उत्र: there
• उत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — 'there'

• कृत्ये: in this task/duty
• कृत्ये: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कार्ये (in the matter to be done)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव; gerund/absolutive) — 'having gone'

• मुनीश्वरम्: the lord of sages
• मुनीश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Devas (deduced: collective decision within narrative; exact individual speaker not explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura (anticipated)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A spokesperson among the devas declares that without Agastya the ocean cannot be dried; the assembly turns from self-reliance to supplication, preparing to journey to the sage.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• sāgara (ocean)
• munīśvara (sage-lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True resolution comes through humility and seeking realized sages; spiritual authority is portrayed as transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agastya’s locale is about to be specified in the next verses; this verse itself highlights his indispensability.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; it prescribes approaching and petitioning a great muni for a righteous task.