Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

यो मां दृष्ट्वा शुचिर्भूत्वा कुंडमेतत्प्रपश्यति । त्रिः पीत्वा वामसव्येन द्वाभ्यां चैव ततो जलम्

Transliteration

yo māṃ dṛṣṭvā śucirbhūtvā kuṃḍametatprapaśyati | triḥ pītvā vāmasavyena dvābhyāṃ caiva tato jalam

Translation

Whoever, after beholding Me and becoming purified, gazes upon this sacred pond—having sipped its water three times, and then taking that water with the left and the right hands…

Word by Word

• यः: who (ever)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having seen’

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having become’

• कुण्डम्: the pond (kuṇḍa)
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘कुण्डम्’

• प्रपश्यति: beholds; sees
• प्रपश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पश्य्/दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः प्र-

• त्रिः: thrice
• त्रिः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, संख्यावाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (numeral adverb)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having drunk’

• वामसव्येन: with the left and right (hands)
• वामसव्येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम-सव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः ‘वामं च सव्यं च’ (left and right)

• द्वाभ्याम्: with two (hands)
• द्वाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विवचन-प्रयोगः, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन; विशेषणं (implicit ‘कराभ्याम्’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

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

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Tripurātaka/Virūpākṣa), speaking to Indra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virūpākṣa-kunda

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devendra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands before Śiva and the crystal-clear kunda, hands poised for ācamana; the act of sipping water thrice is shown with reverence and precision.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kuṇḍa (tīrtha water)
• Indra (implied listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-darśana is joined with inner and outer purity; reverent method transforms a visit into a dharmic act that bears merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This kuṇḍa/tīrtha established by Śiva, treated in the adhyāya as Kedāra’s sacred water.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After Śiva-darśana and becoming śuci, one should sip the tīrtha-water three times (ācāmana-like), then use water taken with both hands for the next acts described in the following verses.