Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तत्क्रीडाचारुविलसद्वापिका राजहंसके । तद्रूपभावात्कृष्णोऽसौ पद्मायां विगतस्पृहः

Transliteration

tatkrīḍācāruvilasadvāpikā rājahaṃsake | tadrūpabhāvātkṛṣṇo'sau padmāyāṃ vigataspṛhaḥ

Translation

Au bassin charmant où leur jeu rayonnait de beauté—tel un séjour de haṃsa royal—Kṛṣṇa, absorbé par sa forme et son bhāva, devint sans désir pour Padmā (Lakṣmī).

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Determiner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपद-निर्देशक (that)

• क्रीडाचारुविलसद्वापिका: the charmingly gleaming play-pond
• क्रीडाचारुविलसद्वापिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक) + चारु (प्रातिपदिक) + विलसत् (कृदन्त; विलस् धातु, शतृ) + वापिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: ‘क्रीडायां चारु विलसन्ती वापिका’ (a pond charmingly shining for play)

• राजहंसके: in/at the royal swan (place/setting)
• राजहंसके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजहंसक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Determiner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपद-निर्देशक

• रूपभावात्: from/because of that form-state
• रूपभावात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ-अपादान (ablative of cause): ‘because of that state/form’

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता

• असौ: that (person), he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असौ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• पद्मायाम्: in/for Padmā (Lakṣmī)
• पद्मायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (with respect to Padmā/Lakṣmī)

• विगतस्पृहः: free from desire
• विगतस्पृहः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगत (कृदन्त; वि+गम् धातु, क्त) + स्पृहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विगता स्पृहा यस्य’ (desire gone)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; explicitly identified as Nārada beginning at 51)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Krīḍā-vāpikā (līlā-pond) in Vṛndāvana (unnamed)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous pond with lotuses and gliding royal haṃsas; the divine play sparkles on the water’s edge as Kṛṣṇa, absorbed in her mood, appears detached from all else.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Padmā (Lakṣmī)
• Vāpikā (pond)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights how intense identification (rūpa-bhāva) can overpower even established divine associations, underscoring the power—and peril—of attachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A vāpikā (pond) is described as the līlā-setting; the verse itself does not provide a distinct tīrtha-name, but situates the narrative in sacral landscape imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed in this verse.