Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

कच्चित्पिबसि पानीयं सप्तवारविशोधितम् । निबिडेन स्ववस्त्रेण पालयंती जलोद्भवान्

Transliteration

kaccitpibasi pānīyaṃ saptavāraviśodhitam | nibiḍena svavastreṇa pālayaṃtī jalodbhavān

Translation

Trinkst du Wasser, das durch siebenfaches Filtern gereinigt wurde—sorgsam durch ein dichtes Tuch geseiht, um die winzigen, im Wasser entstehenden Wesen zu schützen?

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether? (I hope)
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Discourse/प्रश्नसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• पिबसि: you drink
• पिबसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present Indicative, 2nd person singular)

• पानीयम्: drinking water
• पानीयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पानीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• सप्तवारविशोधितम्: purified seven times
• सप्तवारविशोधितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + वार + विशोधित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘purified seven times’ (सप्तवारैः विशोधितम्)

• निबिडेन: with a thick/dense (cloth)
• निबिडेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निबिड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular)

• स्ववस्त्रेण: with your own cloth
• स्ववस्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular); ‘with one’s own cloth’

• पालयन्ती: (you) protecting/straining
• पालयन्ती: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘protecting/straining’ (agreeing with implied ‘त्वम्’ as feminine addressee)

• जलोद्भवान्: water-born beings (tiny organisms)
• जलोद्भवान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural); ‘water-born (creatures)’

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim kneels by a river/stepwell, pouring water through a folded thick cloth into a vessel, carefully returning tiny creatures to the water; the scene emphasizes gentleness and precision.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahiṃsā extends into daily habits: even while drinking water, one should avoid harming subtle forms of life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named here; the verse emphasizes purity and non-violence within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya ethos.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Filter drinking water multiple times through cloth (a purity-and-ahiṃsā practice) before consuming it.