Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

कुरुष्व वचनं शीघ्रं भावनीयं न चान्यथा । यत्त्वया पांसुभिः पूर्वं विवरं परिपूरितः

Transliteration

kuruṣva vacanaṃ śīghraṃ bhāvanīyaṃ na cānyathā | yattvayā pāṃsubhiḥ pūrvaṃ vivaraṃ paripūritaḥ

Translation

میری بات فوراً مان لو؛ اسی کو دل میں بٹھاؤ، اس کے سوا نہیں۔ جو شگاف تم نے پہلے مٹی سے بھر دیا تھا، وہی تمہارے علاج کی کنجی ہے۔

Word by Word

• कुरुष्व: do; perform
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; ‘कुरु’ + ‘स्व’ (आत्मनेपद-चिह्न)

• वचनम्: the instruction; word
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverb ‘quickly’

• भावनी्यम्: should be kept in mind
• भावनी्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √भू (धातु) / भावनीय (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) = ‘to be contemplated/kept in mind’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

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

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) = ‘otherwise’

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• पांसुभिः: with dust; with sand
• पांसुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (Temporal modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = ‘formerly/before’

• विवरम्: hole; opening
• विवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• परिपूरितः: (was) completely filled
• परिपूरितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-√पूर् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) — here agreeing with implied agent/act; sense: ‘was filled up’ (passive)

Speaker

Divine voice (Ākāśavāṇī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgabila (implied access-point)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sealed or dust-filled crevice is shown as the focal object; Indra is urged to act quickly, with the divine voice indicating the exact spot—hinting that the blocked opening is the gateway to the cure.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Vivara (sealed opening/cavity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification often requires reversing a prior wrong and following divine counsel with urgency and clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse hints at a concealed access-point leading to the Hāṭakeśvara sacred realm, clarified in the next verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Immediate obedience to the divine instruction; the practical step concerns the previously sealed opening (vivara).