Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु समानीय सुतं नृपः । स्नापयामास तत्तोयैः प्रत्यक्षं शार्ङ्गधन्वनः

Transliteration

etasminneva kāle tu samānīya sutaṃ nṛpaḥ | snāpayāmāsa tattoyaiḥ pratyakṣaṃ śārṅgadhanvanaḥ

Translation

At that very time, the king brought his son and bathed him with those waters, in the very presence of the wielder of the Śārṅga bow (Viṣṇu).

Word by Word

• etasmin: in this
• etasmin: Adhikaraṇa (Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

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

• kāle: at the time
• kāle: Adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थ (indeed/and)

• samānīya: having brought
• samānīya: Kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ā-nī (धातु) → samānīya (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया ‘having brought’

• sutam: the son
• sutam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• nṛpaḥ: the king
• nṛpaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• snāpayāmāsa: caused (him) to bathe
• snāpayāmāsa: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु) (causative: snāpaya-)
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरण (causative); लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘caused to bathe’

• tat-toyaiḥ: with that water
• tat-toyaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (तत् तोयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• pratyakṣam: manifestly, in person
• pratyakṣam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; क्रियाविशेषण (manifestly/in person)

• śārṅga-dhanvanaḥ: of Śārṅgadhanvan (Viṣṇu, bearer of the Śārṅga bow)
• śārṅga-dhanvanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śārṅga + dhanvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (शार्ङ्गं धनुः यस्य); पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of the bearer of Śārṅga bow)

Speaker

Narrative voice

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāhnavī-jala-kunda (manifested)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ambarīṣa brings his son to the water; attendants pour or guide immersion; Viṣṇu stands nearby with Śārṅga bow, witnessing the bath; the prince’s body begins to shine with restored health.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛpa (king, Ambarīṣa implied)
• Viṣṇu (Śārṅgadhanvan)
• Jāhnavī waters

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When rite, place, and divine grace converge, purification becomes immediate and visible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Jāhnavī-water tīrtha manifested in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāpana/snānā—bathing the afflicted person with the sacred water.