Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणात्स्नात्वा विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः । तच्चिह्नं वीक्षयामास महद्यत्नं समाश्रितः

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇātsnātvā viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ | taccihnaṃ vīkṣayāmāsa mahadyatnaṃ samāśritaḥ

Translation

Aus eben diesem Grund bemühte sich der große Weise Viśvāmitra, nachdem er gebadet hatte, mit höchstem Einsatz, jenes heilige Zeichen zu schauen.

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: अपादान (Source/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कारणात्: from the reason; because of (this) cause
• कारणात्: हेतु/अपादान (Cause/Reason; Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: कर्ता (Subject/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• महामुनिः: the great sage
• महामुनिः: कर्ता (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक: महा + मुनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् मुनिः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to चिह्नम्)

• चिह्नम्: mark; sign
• चिह्नम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वीक्षयामास: looked at; observed
• वीक्षयामास: क्रिया (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महत्: great
• महत्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to यत्नम्)

• यत्नम्: effort
• यत्नम्: कर्म (Object; ‘effort’ as thing resorted to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समाश्रितः: having resorted to; relying on
• समाश्रितः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Predicate participle of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘आश्रितः’ = having resorted to

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra, freshly bathed, stands or sits near a calm water-reservoir, eyes fixed on a mysterious sacred mark/sign associated with the tīrtha; the atmosphere is expectant and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Viśvāmitra
• Jyeṣṭha Puṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great sages honor tīrtha-dharma: purification by snāna and earnest striving for darśana lead to spiritual fruition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jyeṣṭha Puṣkara (Puṣkara tīrtha), where the ‘cihna’ is sought.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna as the prerequisite, followed by focused effort to witness the tīrtha’s divine sign.