Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

या कृता कामदेवेन कुष्ठग्रस्तेन वै पुरा । स्नपनार्थं च कुष्ठस्य विनाशाय च सादरम्

Transliteration

yā kṛtā kāmadevena kuṣṭhagrastena vai purā | snapanārthaṃ ca kuṣṭhasya vināśāya ca sādaram

Translation

Dieser heilige Brunnen wurde einst von Kāmadeva geschaffen, als er von Aussatz befallen war; ehrfürchtig, zum Zwecke des Bades und zur völligen Vernichtung jenes Aussatzes.

Word by Word

• या: which (she/it)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• कृता: made; constructed
• कृता: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “made/constructed”

• कामदेवेन: by Kāmadeva
• कामदेवेन: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘कामस्य देवः’

• कुष्ठग्रस्तेन: afflicted with leprosy
• कुष्ठग्रस्तेन: Karana/Karta (Agent-qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुष्ठ + ग्रस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of कामदेवेन); तत्पुरुषः: ‘कुष्ठेन ग्रस्तः’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time “formerly”)

• स्नपनार्थम्: for bathing (purpose)
• स्नपनार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः/अर्थ-समासः: ‘स्नपनाय अर्थः’ = “for the purpose of bathing”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• कुष्ठस्य: of leprosy
• कुष्ठस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• विनाशाय: for destruction
• विनाशाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी (dative of purpose)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• सादरम्: earnestly; respectfully
• सादरम्: Sambandha (Manner adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative): “with respect/earnestly”

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate narrative context in Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saubhāgya-kūpikā

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāmadeva, visibly afflicted with leprosy, digs/creates a well with reverence; attendants hold water pots; the moment is charged with penitence and hope, foreshadowing cure.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadeva
• Kuṣṭha (leprosy)
• Tīrtha (sacred bathing site)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent bathing at a consecrated tīrtha, undertaken with faith, is portrayed as a dharmic means for purification and the removal of suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred well connected with Kāmadeva, introduced as a healing tīrtha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (context later identifies related wells such as Candrakūpikā/Saubhāgyakūpī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) performed with sādara (reverence) for the destruction of kuṣṭha (leprosy).