Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

न मां ज्ञास्यति दूरस्था जनाः स्नानार्थमागताः । मज्जमानं जले पुण्ये सम्मर्देऽस्मिञ्जलोद्भवे

Transliteration

na māṃ jñāsyati dūrasthā janāḥ snānārthamāgatāḥ | majjamānaṃ jale puṇye sammarde'smiñjalodbhave

Translation

„Die Menschen, die zum Baden gekommen sind und in der Ferne stehen, werden mich nicht erkennen, während ich in diesem heiligen Wasser untertauche, mitten in diesem Gedränge, das aus den Wassern entstanden ist.“

Word by Word

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

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• ज्ञास्यति: will recognize
• ज्ञास्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (will know/recognize)

• दूरस्थाः: standing far away
• दूरस्थाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्थ = √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; समासः—दूरे स्थिताः (standing far away); ‘जनाः’ इति विशेषणम्

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नान-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; प्रयोजनार्थक (for bathing)

• आगताः: having come
• आगताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; ‘जनाः’ इति विशेषणम्

• मज्जमानम्: immersing (myself)
• मज्जमानम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मज्ज् (धातु) → मज्जमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘माम्’ इति विशेषणम् (immersing)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन

• पुण्ये: holy
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; ‘जले’ इति विशेषणम् (holy)

• सम्मर्दे: in the crush
• सम्मर्दे: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्मर्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (in the crush/throng)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location determiner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी; एकवचन; ‘जलोद्भवे’ इति विशेषणम् (in this)

• जलोद्भवे: in Jalodbhava (water-born place/being)
• जलोद्भवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; समासः—जलात् उद्भवः (water-born; name/epithet of place/being)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from immediate context: Brahmā speaking to Indra in v.40)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyeṣṭhapuṣkara

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, blending into a dense crowd at the ghāṭa, steps into the holy water; faces and bodies press close, splashes rise, and the deity’s identity is veiled by ordinary pilgrim movement.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Pilgrims (janāḥ)
• Puṇya-jala (holy water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity may be present within ordinary crowds at sacred places; reverence for the tīrtha and pilgrims becomes reverence for the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jyeṣṭhapuṣkara/Jyeṣṭha-kuṇḍa and its puṇya waters during the bathing gathering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Immersion/bathing (majjana) in the holy waters during the dense festival crowd.