Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तथा मे मूर्धजाः कृष्णास्तत्र स्नातस्य तत्क्षणात् । परं शुक्लत्वमापन्ना एतत्प्रोक्तं मया स्फुटम्

Transliteration

tathā me mūrdhajāḥ kṛṣṇāstatra snātasya tatkṣaṇāt | paraṃ śuklatvamāpannā etatproktaṃ mayā sphuṭam

Translation

In the same way, my hair—though black—became completely white at that very moment when I bathed there. This I have clearly told you.

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise, thus
• तथा: Prakaraṇa (Manner adverbial/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचन (Singular) (enclitic)

• मूर्धजाः: hairs (lit. born on the head)
• मूर्धजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कृष्णाः: black
• कृष्णाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (locative adverb)

• स्नातस्य: of (one) who has bathed
• स्नातस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘स्नात’; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्-क्षणात्: immediately
• तत्-क्षणात्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययप्रयोगः (time adverbial)

• परम्: completely, exceedingly
• परम्: Prakaraṇa (Degree adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (adverb) ‘exceedingly/entirely’

• शुक्लत्वम्: whiteness
• शुक्लत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्लत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• आपन्नाः: attained, became
• आपन्नाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘आपन्न’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural); (अर्थे) ‘attained/became’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोक्तम्: said, declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘प्रोक्त’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्फुटम्: clearly
• स्फुटम्: Prakaraṇa (Manner adverbial/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (adverb)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (a teller describing the tīrtha’s miracle to brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (plural)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator points to his own head as proof: black hair has turned white after bathing; listeners lean in, astonished; the water behind glows with sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (implied audience)
• Śuklatīrtha (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity can manifest immediate, visible transformation, underscoring faith in sacred geography and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha, a place famed for causing ‘whitening’ (śuklatva) by the power of its waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha, presented as producing instant effect.