Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तेनैव परकांतेन विशेषेण रतिक्रियाम् । तस्मिन्नायतने चक्रे कुण्डे तोयावगाहनम्

Transliteration

tenaiva parakāṃtena viśeṣeṇa ratikriyām | tasminnāyatane cakre kuṇḍe toyāvagāhanam

Translation

Mit eben jenem Liebhaber vollzog sie erneut den Akt der Leidenschaft in besonderer Weise; und in jenem Heiligtum tauchte sie auch in die Wasser des Beckens (Kuṇḍa) ein.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (Instrumental singular)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• परकान्तेन: with another’s beloved (man)
• परकान्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परकान्त (प्रातिपदिक; पर + कान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य कान्तः) (Instrumental singular)

• विशेषेण: especially, in particular
• विशेषेण: Hetu/Prakaraṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः (Instrumental used adverbially)

• रतिक्रियाम्: act of sexual enjoyment
• रतिक्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रतिक्रिया (प्रातिपदिक; रति + क्रिया)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रतेः क्रिया) (Accusative singular)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (Locative singular)

• आयतने: in the abode/place
• आयतने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• चक्रे: he did, he performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परस्मैपदम्), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; धातुः कृ (to do/make) (Perfect, 3rd sg)

• कुण्डे: in the pond
• कुण्डे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• तोयावगाहनम्: immersion/bathing in water
• तोयावगाहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय + अवगाहन (प्रातिपदिक; अव + गाह् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तोयस्य अवगाहनम्) (Nom/Acc sg)

Speaker

Narrator within the dialogue frame (contextually tied to Vaiśvānara’s account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudraśīrṣa (shrine) with associated Kuṇḍa (name not specified in the verse)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clandestine couple near a stone-lined sacred pond within a Śaiva sanctuary; moonlit water, temple lamps, and the uneasy juxtaposition of passion and pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Āyatana (shrine)
• Kuṇḍa (pond)
• Parakānta (paramour)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The narrative highlights the tension between repeated adharma and the purificatory promise of tīrtha practices, stressing responsibility alongside sacred grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The āyatana and kuṇḍa of the Rudraśīrṣa tīrtha, where immersion (toyāvagāhana) is performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Toyāvagāhana—immersion/bathing in the kuṇḍa (sacred pond).