Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

सा च पश्यति चात्मानं जलमध्यगतां शुभा

Transliteration

sā ca paśyati cātmānaṃ jalamadhyagatāṃ śubhā

Translation

Et cette femme de bon augure se vit elle-même, demeurant au milieu des eaux.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/Conjunction)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/Conjunction)

• आत्मानम्: herself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• जल: water
• जल: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद

• मध्य: middle
• मध्य: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद

• गताम्: gone into
• गताम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘gone/entered’

• जलमध्यगताम्: gone into the middle of the water
• जलमध्यगताम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + मध्य + गता (प्रातिपदिकसमूह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष) = ‘जलस्य मध्ये गता’

• शुभा: auspicious/beautiful
• शुभा: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सा’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (likely Sūta in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous woman stands or floats calmly in the center of a clear water-body; the surface reflects her form with uncanny clarity, suggesting she ‘beholds herself’ amid gentle ripples and sacred ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Auspicious lady (śubhā)
• Waters (jala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters in tīrtha traditions are portrayed as transformative, revealing inner states and supporting spiritual realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A water-based tīrtha is implied (a ford or sacred pool/river), but the name is not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the imagery aligns with tīrtha-related practices like snāna (ritual bathing), though not stated.