Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्नानं चक्रुर्विधानेन तीर्थेषु द्विजसत्तमाः । भ्रांत्वाभ्रांत्वा सुपुण्येषु श्रुत्वाश्रुत्वा द्विजन्मनाम्

Transliteration

snānaṃ cakrurvidhānena tīrtheṣu dvijasattamāḥ | bhrāṃtvābhrāṃtvā supuṇyeṣu śrutvāśrutvā dvijanmanām

Translation

Die Besten der Zweimalgeborenen badeten in den Tīrthas nach rechter Vorschrift; immer wieder durchstreiften sie die höchst verdienstvollen Stätten und hörten wieder und wieder die Lehren der Brahmanen.

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (object)

• चक्रुः: performed, did
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; Perfect, 3rd person plural

• विधानेन: according to rule/ritual procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• तीर्थेषु: at sacred fords/holy places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Locative plural

• द्विजसत्तमाः: the best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां सत्तमाः) ‘best among twice-born’; Nominative plural (subject)

• भ्रान्त्वा: having wandered
• भ्रान्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having wandered’

• अभ्रान्त्वा: having roamed about
• अभ्रान्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having wandered about’

• सुपुण्येषु: in very holy (places)
• सुपुण्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास/उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/उपपद-समास (सु-पुण्य) ‘very holy’; Locative plural; विशेषण (तीर्थेषु)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having heard’

• अश्रुत्वा: having listened (well), having heard again
• अश्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having heard (repeatedly/fully)’

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्वि-जन्म) ‘twice-born’; Genitive plural

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathing at stepped ghats and small kundas, then walking through groves to another sacred spot; nearby Brahmins recite and explain tīrtha-māhātmya, with listeners seated attentively.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• snāna
• dvija (twice-born)
• Brahmin teachers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is both outer and inner: disciplined bathing in tīrthas and attentive listening to dharma-teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Multiple tīrthas within the Adhyāya 72 kṣetra are implied; the verse highlights a network of supuṇya spots.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snāna ‘vidhānena’ (according to proper procedure) and śravaṇa (listening) to learned dvijas.