Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

हुंकारगर्भे मत्स्यं च दृष्ट्वा तं स महेश्वरः । तेजसा स्तंभयामास वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

Transliteration

huṃkāragarbhe matsyaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā taṃ sa maheśvaraḥ | tejasā staṃbhayāmāsa vākyametaduvāca ha

Translation

Thấy con cá ấy trong bào thai của âm “huṃ”, Maheśvara dùng quang lực rực cháy của mình khiến nó bất động, rồi cất lời như sau.

Word by Word

• हुंकारगर्भे: in the womb/inside of the huṃkāra
• हुंकारगर्भे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुंकार-गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक; हुंकार + गर्भ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हुंकारस्य गर्भः)

• मत्स्यम्: the fish
• मत्स्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having seen’

• तम्: him/that (fish)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

• तेजसा: by (his) radiance/power
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्तंभयामास: stopped/immobilized
• स्तंभयामास: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तम्भ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाक्यम्)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed/then
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/quotative)

Speaker

Brahmā (narrating); Maheśvara is the actor within the story

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic moment: within a swirling ‘huṃ’ sound-visualization, the fish is seen; Maheśvara radiates fiery splendor, freezing the creature in place, then begins to speak.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Huṃkāra
• Matsya (fish)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine sound-power and radiance (tejas) are portrayed as forces that restrain chaos and reveal sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within the unnamed city/Kṣīrasāgara narrative frame; no explicit tīrtha name occurs here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it alludes to the potency of bīja-like sound (huṃ) as a sacred power.