Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

एतत्कल्पाग्निसंकाशं धर्तुं शक्नोति नापरः । विना वैश्वानरं तस्माद्दधात्वेष सनातनम्

Transliteration

etatkalpāgnisaṃkāśaṃ dhartuṃ śaknoti nāparaḥ | vinā vaiśvānaraṃ tasmāddadhātveṣa sanātanam

Translation

یہ قیامتِ کَلپ کی آگ کی مانند ہے؛ اسے کوئی اور برداشت نہیں کر سکتا۔ لہٰذا ویشوانر (اگنی) ہی اس ازلی قوت کو قبول کر کے سنبھالے۔

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कल्प-अग्नि-संकाशम्: like the fire at the end of an aeon
• कल्प-अग्नि-संकाशम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः) ‘कल्पाग्निसदृशम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धर्तुम्: to hold/bear
• धर्तुम्: Prayojana/Anvaya (Purpose complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• शक्नोति: is able
• शक्नोति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd sg, Parasmaipada)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अपरः: another (person)
• अपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• विना: without
• विना: Vinā-sambandha (Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• वैश्वानरम्: Vaiśvānara (Agni)
• वैश्वानरम्: Karma (Object of ‘vinā’/excluded)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśvānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Anvaya (Reason/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• दधातु: let (him) place/assign
• दधातु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Imperative, 3rd sg, Parasmaipada)

• एषः: this one (he)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• सनातनम्: the eternal (thing)
• सनातनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaiśvānara (Agni) as the dhāraṇa of tejas

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing, kalpāgni-like radiance is shown as too intense for any being; only Vaiśvānara-Agni stands capable, receiving the eternal power like a sacred deposit.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vaiśvānara (Agni)
• Kalpāgni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power must be entrusted to the worthy vessel; dharma requires proper receptacles and disciplined transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is part of a larger sacred narrative often used to sanctify places associated with Agni and Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; Agni’s role is theological (bearing and conveying divine potency).