Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

नंदः पुत्रं समादाय धनुष्कोटिं ययौ तदा । तत्र च स्नापयामास पुत्रं नियमपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

naṃdaḥ putraṃ samādāya dhanuṣkoṭiṃ yayau tadā | tatra ca snāpayāmāsa putraṃ niyamapūrvakam

Translation

Darauf nahm Nanda seinen Sohn und ging nach Dhanuṣkoṭi. Dort ließ er seinen Sohn baden, in rechter Weise gemäß den vorgeschriebenen Observanzen und Zügelungen.

Word by Word

• नन्दः: Nanda
• नन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समादाय: having taken
• समादाय: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); सम्-उपसर्गयुक्त; ‘having taken along’

• धनुष्कोटिम्: to Dhanuṣkoṭi
• धनुष्कोटिम्: Karma (Goal as object/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुष्कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्नापयामास: caused (him) to bathe
• स्नापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (periphrastic perfect/परस्मैपदी), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative) ‘made (him) bathe’

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नियमपूर्वकम्: according to prescribed observance
• नियमपूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘with observances/according to rule’

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A father leads his son along a sandy coastal path toward the sea; pilgrims and ascetics appear; at the shoreline, they prepare for ritual bathing with water pots and cloths.

Characters & Entities

• Nanda
• Dhanuṣkoṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage bears fullest fruit when paired with niyama—ethical and ritual discipline—rather than mere travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi, a key tīrtha in the Setukhaṇḍa’s Setu Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Dhanuṣkoṭi performed niyama-pūrvaka (with observances such as purity, restraint, and due ritual conduct).