Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ततो विस्मयमापन्नः स राजा तत्र निर्झरे । अन्यानि नीलीरक्तानि वस्त्राणि चाक्षिपज्जले

Transliteration

tato vismayamāpannaḥ sa rājā tatra nirjhare | anyāni nīlīraktāni vastrāṇi cākṣipajjale

Translation

ثم إن الملك، وقد امتلأ عجباً، هناك عند الشلال، ألقى في الماء ثياباً أخرى زرقاء وحمراء.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): तस्मात्/ततः = thereafter

• vismayam: astonishment
• vismayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vismaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• āpannaḥ: having attained / fallen into
• āpannaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā√pad (धातु) + kta (क्त) → āpanna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; adjectival)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• rājā: king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (locative adverb): there

• nirjhare: at the waterfall/spring
• nirjhare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirjhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• anyāni: other
• anyāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Plural; adjectival)

• nīlīraktāni: blue and red (colored)
• nīlīraktāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक) + rakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (नīल + रक्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Plural)

• vastrāṇi: garments
• vastrāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Plural)

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

• akṣipat: threw/cast
• akṣipat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a√kṣip (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• jale: in water
• jale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

Speaker

Pulastya (deduced from immediate section context; Adhyāya 24 explicitly begins with Pulastya speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnamed nirjhara-tīrtha of Arbuda

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (addressed within the narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king stands near the cascade and deliberately throws blue and red garments into the churning water, watching intently for transformation.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Śuklatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is proclaimed, it may be verified through sincere inquiry—yet the aim is reverence, not skepticism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha, described as a nirjhara (cascade) whose waters display purifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: using the tīrtha-water for cleansing/purification, preparing for proper snāna.