Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

प्राविश्याऽत्र जले पुण्ये पंचत्वं समुपागतः । ततश्च तत्क्षणादेव विमानं समुपस्थितम्

Transliteration

prāviśyā'tra jale puṇye paṃcatvaṃ samupāgataḥ | tataśca tatkṣaṇādeva vimānaṃ samupasthitam

Translation

Entering this holy water, I met my end and became one with the five elements; and at that very moment a celestial chariot (vimāna) appeared.

Word by Word

• prāviśya: having entered
• prāviśya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√viś (विश्, धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वार्थक अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) = having entered

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• jale: in the water
• jale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• puṇye: holy, meritorious
• puṇye: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of jale)

• paṃcatvam: death; dissolution into five elements
• paṃcatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃcatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म—‘पञ्चत्वं’ (state of the five elements, i.e., death)

• samupāgataḥ: attained, reached
• samupāgataḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-√gam (गम्, धातु) + kta (क्त) → samupāgata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियापदवत्—‘समुपागतः’ = reached/attained

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• tat-kṣaṇāt: from that very moment
• tat-kṣaṇāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः ‘तत् क्षणः’ (that moment); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; अपादान/काल-निर्देश (from that moment)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारण particle)

• vimānam: celestial chariot
• vimānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vimāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृवत् (subject)

• samupasthitam: appeared, arrived
• samupasthitam: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-√sthā (स्था, धातु) + kta (क्त) → samupasthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियापदवत्—‘समुपस्थितम्’ = appeared/arrived (agreeing with vimānam)

Speaker

Unspecified (same repentant former king speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprendra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim enters the glowing sacred water; as life departs, a radiant vimāna descends from the sky with light beams; the shoreline witnesses are awestruck; the moment is instantaneous and miraculous.

Characters & Entities

• vimāna (celestial chariot)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity can transform the fate after death, symbolized by the immediate appearance of a vimāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The “holy water here” (jale puṇye) of the chapter’s tīrtha; its power is shown through instant divine response.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Entering/bathing in the sacred water (snāna and immersion) is the implied act producing merit.