Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

नान्यथा पूरितुं शक्यो बिलोऽयं त्रिदशाधिप । तं मुक्त्वा पर्वत श्रेष्ठं सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्

Transliteration

nānyathā pūrituṃ śakyo bilo'yaṃ tridaśādhipa | taṃ muktvā parvata śreṣṭhaṃ satyametanmayoditam

Translation

اے تری دَشوں کے ادھپتی! یہ غار کسی اور طریقے سے پُر نہیں ہو سکتا۔ اُس بہترین پہاڑ کو چھوڑے بغیر یہ کام نہ ہوگا—یہی سچ میں بیان کرتا ہوں۔

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• pūritum: to fill
• pūritum: Prayojana/Anukūla-kriyā (Infinitival complement/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūr (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (infinitive), कर्तरि प्रयोगः; अर्थः—पूरयितुम् (to fill)

• śakyaḥ: possible/able
• śakyaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < √śak (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-भावे), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• bilaḥ: cave, hole
• bilaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tridaśādhipa: O lord of the gods
• tridaśādhipa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रिदशानाम् अधिपः)

• tam: that (one/it)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• muktvā: having left
• muktvā: Kriyā (Gerundial subordinate action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having left/released)

• parvata: O mountain
• parvata: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• śreṣṭham: best, excellent
• śreṣṭham: Sambodhana (Vocative qualifier/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (parvata)

• satyam: truth; true
• satyam: Karta (Predicative nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेयम् (it is true)

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• uditam: said/uttered
• uditam: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < √vad/√ud (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (etat)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator (addressing Indra as tridaśādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-bila (within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Tridaśādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, yawning cavern (bila) before the gods; a speaker solemnly declaring that only by releasing/bringing the ‘best mountain’ can it be filled—an oath-like moment of cosmic logistics.

Characters & Entities

• Tridaśādhipa (Indra)
• Nāga-bila
• Parvata-śreṣṭha (best mountain—Raktaśṛṅga implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some dharmic tasks have a specific ordained means; forcing alternatives fails, while truthfully following the destined method preserves sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāga-bila is central, its very ‘filling’ portrayed as crucial to the sanctity and safety of the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it emphasizes the necessary sacred action—releasing/bringing the mountain to fill the cavern.