Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ततः स शीततोयेन संसिक्तश्च पुनःपुनः । लब्ध्वाशु चेतनां कृच्छ्रात्स्वजनैः परिवारितः । प्रलापान्विविधांश्चक्रे ताडयन्स्वशिरो मुहुः

Transliteration

tataḥ sa śītatoyena saṃsiktaśca punaḥpunaḥ | labdhvāśu cetanāṃ kṛcchrātsvajanaiḥ parivāritaḥ | pralāpānvividhāṃścakre tāḍayansvaśiro muhuḥ

Translation

Then he was repeatedly sprinkled with cold water. Regaining consciousness with difficulty, surrounded by his kinsmen, he uttered many kinds of lamentations, again and again striking his own head.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• śīta-toyena: with cold water
• śīta-toyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīta (प्रातिपदिक) + toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘शीतं तोयम्’

• saṃsiktaḥ: sprinkled, wetted
• saṃsiktaḥ: Predicate adjective (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + sic (धातु) + saṃsikta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘सः’ इति विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• punaḥ-punaḥ: again and again
• punaḥ-punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय) + punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-अव्यय (repetitive adverb)

• labdhvā: having obtained
• labdhvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive)

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• cetanām: consciousness, awareness
• cetanām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kṛcchrāt: with difficulty, painfully
• kṛcchrāt: Hetu/Prakāra (Cause/Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛcchra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb); पञ्चमी-अर्थे ‘कृच्छ्रात्’ = ‘कष्टात्/कष्टेन’

• sva-janaiḥ: by his own people/relatives
• sva-janaiḥ: Karana/Sahakari (Instrument/Associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘स्वा जनाः’ (one's own people)

• parivāritaḥ: surrounded
• parivāritaḥ: Predicate adjective (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari + vṛ (धातु) + parivārita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘सः’ इति विशेषणम्

• pralāpān: ramblings, lamentations
• pralāpān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pralāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• vividhān: various
• vividhān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘प्रलापान्’ इति विशेषणम्

• cakre: did, made, uttered
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी

• tāḍayan: striking, beating
• tāḍayan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Concomitant action)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāḍ (धातु) + tāḍayat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त/वर्तमानकृदन्त; क्रियासहचर (simultaneous action)

• sva-śiraḥ: his own head
• sva-śiraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘स्वं शिरः’

• muhuḥ: again and again, repeatedly
• muhuḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (repeatedly)

Speaker

Narrator (within the Purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Relatives sprinkle cold water on the collapsed man; he slowly awakens, surrounded by concerned kin; upon regaining senses he laments loudly and strikes his head in anguish.

Characters & Entities

• Subhadraka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognition of wrongdoing produces remorse; such repentance is the doorway to corrective dharma and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this verse; it supports the broader tīrtha-māhātmya narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; sprinkling with cold water is a narrative act of reviving, not a stated expiation.