Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

मम सख्या समादिष्टं नातिदूरे जलाशयः । तत्र श्वेतत्वमायाति सर्वं क्षिप्तं सितेतरम्

Transliteration

mama sakhyā samādiṣṭaṃ nātidūre jalāśayaḥ | tatra śvetatvamāyāti sarvaṃ kṣiptaṃ sitetaram

Translation

Sie sprach: „Meine Freundin hat mir unweit einen Wasserteich gezeigt. Alles, was man hineinwirft — selbst wenn es nicht weiß ist — wird dort weiß (rein und leuchtend).“

Word by Word

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• सख्या: by (my) female friend
• सख्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• समादिष्टम्: was instructed / ordered
• समादिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√दिश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (Negation particle)

• अतिदूरे: at a very far distance
• अतिदूरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे स्थानवाचक (locative of place)

• जलाशयः: a reservoir/pond
• जलाशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जलस्य आशयः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (Adverb of place)

• श्वेतत्वम्: whiteness
• श्वेतत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• आयाति: comes/ensues
• आयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षिप्तम्: thrown (in)
• क्षिप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √क्षिप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• सितेतरम्: non-white / other than white
• सितेतरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित-इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (सितस्य इतरम् = non-white)

Speaker

Daughter (reporting to her father)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A friend points to a nearby shining reservoir; a devotee holds stained cloth over luminous water that seems to turn everything bright.

Characters & Entities

• Jalāśaya (sacred reservoir)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is portrayed as a transformer of impurity into purity—symbolizing the power of sacred places to uplift and cleanse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A nearby jalāśaya (sacred reservoir) renowned for granting śvetatva—making what is impure become pure/bright.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Casting/placing defiled items (such as garments) for cleansing, and by implication bathing/ritual purification at the jalāśaya.