Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

न तत्र लक्ष्यते ब्रह्मा न तत्कर्म च वारुणम् । क्रियमाणैर्द्विजैस्तत्र व्याप्ते भूमि तलेऽखिले

Transliteration

na tatra lakṣyate brahmā na tatkarma ca vāruṇam | kriyamāṇairdvijaistatra vyāpte bhūmi tale'khile

Translation

Dort war Brahmā nicht zu erkennen, noch ließ sich jenes Varuṇa-zugehörige Ritual ausmachen, denn der ganze Boden war überall von Zweimalgeborenen erfüllt, die die Riten vollzogen.

Word by Word

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

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

• लक्ष्यते: is seen
• लक्ष्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (is seen/observed)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Determiner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘कर्म’ इति विशेषणम् (that)

• कर्म: rite, act
• कर्म: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• वारुणम्: Varuṇa-related
• वारुणम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘कर्म’ इति विशेषणम् (pertaining to Varuṇa)

• क्रियमाणैः: by performing (priests)
• क्रियमाणैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive context/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → क्रियमाण (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन; ‘द्विजैः’ इति विशेषणम् (being performed/doing)

• द्विजैः: by brāhmaṇas (twice-born)
• द्विजैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन

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

• व्याप्ते: when filled
• व्याप्ते: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √व्याप् (धातु) → व्याप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; ‘भूमितले’ इति विशेषणम् (pervaded/filled)

• भूमि: of the earth
• भूमि: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपदभावः; ‘भूमितले’ इत्यत्र भूमेः (of the earth)

• तले: on the ground/surface
• तले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; ‘भूमि’ इति षष्ठीसम्बन्ध (on the surface)

• अखिले: entire
• अखिले: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; ‘तले’ इति विशेषणम् (entire)

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyeṣṭhapuṣkara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual field packed wall-to-wall with dvijas performing rites; smoke of offerings, lines of vessels and kuśa-grass, and the presiding figure (Brahmā) not easily discernible amid the sea of white-clad priests.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Varuṇa (implied by vāruṇam)
• Dvijāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At great tīrtha gatherings, dharma becomes a living landscape—so abundant that even eminent figures may be obscured by the multitude of rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jyeṣṭhapuṣkara and its ritual grounds during the bathing occasion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The performance of water-associated rites (vāruṇa karma) and other dvija rituals in the tīrtha setting.