Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । योऽसावाथर्वणैर्मंत्रैः कलशश्चाभिमन्त्रितः । तैर्मंत्रैर्वालखिल्यैश्च महाऽमर्षसमन्वितैः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | yo'sāvātharvaṇairmaṃtraiḥ kalaśaścābhimantritaḥ | tairmaṃtrairvālakhilyaiśca mahā'marṣasamanvitaiḥ

Translation

Sūta thưa: “Chiếc bình nước (kalaśa) kia đã được chú nguyện đúng pháp bằng các thần chú Atharvan—chính những thần chú ấy—và bởi các hiền giả Vālakhilya, những vị đầy uy lực khổ hạnh…”

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• yaḥ: who/which
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• asau: that (one)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ātharvaṇaiḥ: with Atharvan (Atharvavedic)
• ātharvaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātharvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण: 'Atharvan-related'

• mantraiḥ: with mantras
• mantraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• kalaśaḥ: the pot (vessel)
• kalaśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): 'and'

• abhimantritaḥ: consecrated, enchanted
• abhimantritaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + mantr (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'consecrated/enchanted'

• taiḥ: by those
• taiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• mantraiḥ: with mantras
• mantraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• vālakhilyaiḥ: by/with the Vālakhilyas
• vālakhilyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālakhilya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): 'and'

• mahā-amarṣa-samanvitaiḥ: endowed with great ardor/indignation
• mahā-amarṣa-samanvitaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + amarṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, सम्+√i)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: 'endowed with great indignation/ardor'

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Suparṇa (Suparṇākhya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta describes a consecrated water-pot empowered by Atharvan mantras and the fierce ascetic energy of the Vālakhilya sages.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Atharvan mantras
• Kalaśa
• Vālakhilya Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes sanctification—objects become spiritually potent when empowered by mantra and austere sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Suparṇa Māhātmya narrative; the tīrtha is implied as the setting where such consecration bears fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhimantraṇa (mantra-consecration) of a kalaśa using Atharvan mantras, associated with Vālakhilya sages.