Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततः संचिंतयामास स्वसुतां च सरस्वतीम् । जन संस्पर्शभीत्या च पातालतलवाहिनीम्

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃciṃtayāmāsa svasutāṃ ca sarasvatīm | jana saṃsparśabhītyā ca pātālatalavāhinīm

Translation

Dann gedachte er in Versenkung seiner eigenen Tochter Sarasvatī—die aus Furcht vor der Berührung durch Menschen durch die Ebenen der Pātāla, der Unterwelt, dahinströmt.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (then)

• संचिन्तयामास: considered/reflected
• संचिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (periphrastic perfect/परिप्रयोग-लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘he reflected/considered’

• स्वसुताम्: his own daughter
• स्वसुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; ‘स्वस्य सुताम्’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• सरस्वतीम्: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• जन: of people
• जन: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘of people’ (saṃsparśabhītyā qualifies)

• संस्पर्शभीत्या: out of fear of contact
• संस्पर्शभीत्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + स्पर्श + भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु; ‘संस्पर्शस्य भीतिः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• पातालतलवाहिनीम्: flowing along the netherworld level
• पातालतलवाहिनीम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाताल + तल + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (सरस्वतीम्); ‘पातालतले वाहिनी’/‘पातालतलस्य वाहिनी’ (तत्पुरुष-समास)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptā Sarasvatī (invoked for the Śucitoya Mahāhrada)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lokeśa meditates upon Sarasvatī as his daughter—an unseen, subterranean river flowing through nether realms; the scene juxtaposes the visible kṣetra with a mystical underworld watercourse.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is safeguarded in sacred geography: the river’s hidden flow symbolizes untarnished sanctity made available by divine intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the establishment of water in Camatkārapura-kṣetra by invoking Sarasvatī’s subterranean presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it narrates the selection/invocation of Sarasvatī as the pure water-source for rites in the kṣetra.