Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अथापश्यद्द्रुमोपांते विश्वामित्रं मुनीश्वरम् । उपविष्टं कृतस्नानं वीक्षमाणं जलाशयम्

Transliteration

athāpaśyaddrumopāṃte viśvāmitraṃ munīśvaram | upaviṣṭaṃ kṛtasnānaṃ vīkṣamāṇaṃ jalāśayam

Translation

Then, at the foot of a tree, he beheld Viśvāmitra—the lord among sages—seated after his sacred bath, gazing upon the holy water-reservoir.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध/अनुक्रम
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/अनन्तर (then)

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्रुमोपान्ते: near a tree
• द्रुमोपान्ते: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम + उपान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (द्रुमस्य उपान्ते)

• विश्वामित्रम्: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनीश्वरम्: lord of sages
• मुनीश्वरम्: कर्म (Apposition to object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मुनीनां ईश्वरः)

• उपविष्टम्: seated
• उपविष्टम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to विश्वामित्रम्)

• कृतस्नानम्: having performed bathing; bathed
• कृतस्नानम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कृतं स्नानं येन/यस्य) = ‘having bathed’

• वीक्षमाणम्: observing; looking at
• वीक्षमाणम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present Active Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to विश्वामित्रम्)

• जलाशयम्: a water-reservoir; pond
• जलाशयम्: कर्म (Object of ‘observing’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (जलस्य आशयः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Under a broad tree at the water’s edge, Viśvāmitra sits serene, wet hair and cloth from snāna, eyes fixed on the shimmering reservoir; the king beholds him from a short distance, the forest opening into a sacred clearing.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Jalāśaya (sacred water-body)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is sanctified by both the waters and the presence of realized sages; darśana of such a muni is itself purifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A jalāśaya (sacred pond/lake) central to Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the precise name is supplied by the broader chapter context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) is indicated as already performed by the sage, highlighting bathing as a key tīrtha-practice.