Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ततश्चक्रे मुनिर्यावत्सम्यक्कुशपरिग्रहम् । दर्भाग्रेणास्य हस्ताग्रं पाटितं तावदेव हि

Transliteration

tataścakre muniryāvatsamyakkuśaparigraham | darbhāgreṇāsya hastāgraṃ pāṭitaṃ tāvadeva hi

Translation

پھر مُنی نے جیسا کہ شاستر کا ودھان ہے، کُشا گھاس سنبھالنے کا اہتمام کیا؛ مگر اسی لمحے دَربھا کی تیز نوک سے اس کے ہاتھ کی پور کٹ گئی۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थक/क्रमसूचक (then/from there)

• चक्रे: he did/performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + लिट् (आत्मनेपद)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• यावत्: as much as/so long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Limit marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-सूचक (as much as/so long as)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (properly)

• कुशपरिग्रहम्: the taking/holding of kuśa grass
• कुशपरिग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश-परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘taking/holding of kuśa grass’)

• दर्भाग्रेण: with the tip of darbha grass
• दर्भाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘tip of darbha grass’)

• अस्य: of him/his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हस्ताग्रम्: the tip of his hand/fingertip
• हस्ताग्रम्: Karma (Object affected/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘tip of the hand/fingertip’)

• पाटितम्: was cut/split
• पाटितम्: Kriya (Resultant state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पट्/पाट् (धातु) + णिच्? (causative sense) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (was split/cut)

• तावत्: just then/so much
• तावत्: Sambandha (Measure/limit/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/तत्क्षण-सूचक (just then/that much)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ निपात (for/indeed)

Speaker

Deductive (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage reaches for kuśa; a sharp darbha blade grazes and cuts his fingertip—close-up focus on the hand, grass, and a single drop forming.

Characters & Entities

• muni
• kuśa
• darbha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even small ritual acts at a tīrtha can become the doorway to extraordinary outcomes, revealing the hidden potency of sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the verse itself does not name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Proper handling/acceptance of kuśa grass as part of ritual procedure (aṅga of Vedic-Purāṇic rites).