Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

स्नानार्थं तज्जलं साऽथ प्रविवेश वराप्सराः

Transliteration

snānārthaṃ tajjalaṃ sā'tha praviveśa varāpsarāḥ

Translation

Entonces aquella excelsa apsaras entró en esas aguas para bañarse.

Word by Word

• snāna-artham: for bathing
• snāna-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose) ‘for bathing’

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular (she)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha/Discourse (अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक अव्यय (sequencing particle: then)

• praviveśa: entered
• praviveśa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś + pra (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

• varāpsarāḥ: the excellent apsaras (Rambhā)
• varāpsarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara-apsaras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनार्थे बहुवचन-रूप (काव्ये/जातिवाचक) वा पाठान्तरानुसार प्रथमा बहुवचन — here used for Rambhā as ‘the excellent apsaras’; समासः (कर्मधारय)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rambhā steps into the clear pond for bathing; water ripples around her; lotuses and reeds frame the scene; the bank and hermitage remain nearby, unseen or partially shown to preserve suspense.

Characters & Entities

• Rambhā
• Sacred water (jala)
• Snāna (bathing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters invite purification through snāna, yet the same setting can become a ground of temptation—purity must be inward as well as outward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred body of water near Jābāli’s dwelling is implied; the tīrtha name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) is mentioned as the immediate act.