Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

पतिव्रता त्वमाचीर्णं यदि सम्यङ्मया स्फुटम् । तेन सत्येन भूपृष्ठान्निर्गच्छतु जलं शुभम्

Transliteration

pativratā tvamācīrṇaṃ yadi samyaṅmayā sphuṭam | tena satyena bhūpṛṣṭhānnirgacchatu jalaṃ śubham

Translation

„Wenn ich das Gelübde der treuen, keuschen Gattin (pativratā) klar und recht ausgeübt habe, dann möge kraft dieser Wahrheit aus der Erdoberfläche segensreiches Wasser hervorquellen.“

Word by Word

• पतिव्रता: a devoted wife
• पतिव्रता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समास: पतेः व्रतम् यस्याः सा (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहि-प्रायः; रूढ्या 'devoted to husband')

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता)

• आचीर्णम्: practised/observed
• आचीर्णम्: Karma (Predicate complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग-आ (practised/observed)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तवाचक (conditional 'if')

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (properly, rightly)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: एकवचन; तृतीया (3rd/करण)

• स्फुटम्: clearly
• स्फुटम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (clearly, distinctly)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; 'by that/thereby'

• सत्येन: by (this) truth
• सत्येन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• भूपृष्ठात्: from the earth's surface
• भूपृष्ठात्: Apādāna (Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समास: भू+पृष्ठ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'earth-surface')

• निर्गच्छतु: let (it) come forth
• निर्गच्छतु: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग-निर् (let it come forth/go out)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• शुभम्: pure/auspicious
• शुभम्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (auspicious/pure)

Speaker

Dīrghikā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dīrghikā-prādurbhūta-jala (implied)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dīrghikā, hands joined or raised in solemn declaration, invokes her pativratā truth; from the earth before her, a clear auspicious spring bursts forth, illuminating the forest clearing.

Characters & Entities

• Dīrghikā
• Satya (truth-act, concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth (satya) empowered by dharmic conduct becomes transformative; purity of vow is depicted as generating sacred resources for life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse signals the birth/manifestation of a water-source as a tīrtha, but the excerpt does not provide the tīrtha’s proper name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A satya-kriyā (truth-declaration) is performed—invoking truth as a spiritual act to manifest auspicious water.