Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

स्नानकाले तु तोयानि रेतोदकमथास्पृशन् । अमोघरेतसा तेन पुत्रोऽयं तव संस्थितः

Transliteration

snānakāle tu toyāni retodakamathāspṛśan | amogharetasā tena putro'yaṃ tava saṃsthitaḥ

Translation

স্নানকালে জল রেতোদকের স্পর্শ পেল; সেই অমোঘ রেতসের প্রভাবে এই তোমার পুত্র প্রতিষ্ঠিত হল।

Word by Word

• स्नानकाले: at bathing time
• स्नानकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, locative singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधबोधक-अव्यय (particle)

• तोयानि: waters
• तोयानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (neuter nom/acc plural)

• रेतोदकम्: semen-mixed water
• रेतोदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (adverb: then/now)

• अस्पृशन्: (they) touched
• अस्पृशन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (they touched)

• अमोघरेतसा: with unfailing semen
• अमोघरेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमोघ (प्रातिपदिक) + रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग? (रेतस्-शब्दः नपुंसक), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (instrumental singular)

• तेन: by that/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Cause/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular pronoun)

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular pronoun)

• संस्थितः: has come into existence/is established
• संस्थितः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे स्थितिवाचक (has come to be/stands)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context suggests a deity/authority addressing a woman/mahābhāgā within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of bathing waters touching ‘seed-like water’ and the unseen causal chain leading to the birth of a son; the focus is on water, cloth, and destiny rather than explicit sexuality.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames birth and destiny as operating under a higher, unfailing potency, reminding the listener to accept sacred causality with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya framework, but this specific line does not name a particular tīrtha in isolation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) is referenced as the ritual context, though no explicit injunction is given in this single verse.