Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । अद्यापि च द्विजश्रेष्ठास्तत्र तीर्थे जगद्गुरुः । प्रथमं स्पृशते तोयं नित्यं स्याद्दयितं शुभम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | adyāpi ca dvijaśreṣṭhāstatra tīrthe jagadguruḥ | prathamaṃ spṛśate toyaṃ nityaṃ syāddayitaṃ śubham

Translation

সূতে ক’লে: আজিও, হে দ্বিজশ্ৰেষ্ঠসকল, সেই তীৰ্থত জগদ্গুৰু সৰ্বপ্ৰথমে জল স্পৰ্শ কৰে; সেই জল সদায় প্ৰিয় আৰু মঙ্গলময়।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अद्यापि: even today / still now
• अद्यापि: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

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

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana/Addressed (Vocative sense in context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जगद्गुरुः: the teacher of the world
• जगद्गुरुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः गुरुः)

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन-प्रथमा/द्वितीया (adverbial accusative)

• स्पृशते: touches
• स्पृशते: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• स्यात्: would be / may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicative verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दयितम्: beloved
• दयितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दयित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭhas (assembled brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta addresses assembled brāhmaṇas; in the background a luminous tīrtha-lake glimmers, and an unseen or subtly indicated 'Jagadguru' presence sanctifies the water by first touch, making the scene feel perpetually auspicious.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dvija
• Tīrtha
• Jagadguru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is enduring; sacred water remains auspicious across time and is honored by revered spiritual authorities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to “that tīrtha” in Adhyāya 182; the explicit site-name is not included in the provided text.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reverential contact with the tīrtha-water (touching/approaching it first), implying ritual priority and sanctity of the water.