Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तस्यां स्नात्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठो यावत्तिष्ठति तीरगः । समाधिस्थो जपं कुर्वन्संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः

Transliteration

tasyāṃ snātvā dvijaśreṣṭho yāvattiṣṭhati tīragaḥ | samādhistho japaṃ kurvansaṃtarpya pitṛdevatāḥ

Translation

Après s’être baigné dans cette rivière, le meilleur des deux-fois-nés demeura au gué; établi en samādhi, il accomplit le japa et offrit la tarpaṇa, apaisant les Pitṛs et les divinités.

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: in her/therein (in that river)
• तस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• द्विजश्रेष्ठः: best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः)

• यावत्: as long as, until
• यावत्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-अव्यय (until/as long as)

• तिष्ठति: stays, stands
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तीरगः: one who is on the bank
• तीरगः: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीरग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समाधिस्थः: absorbed in meditation
• समाधिस्थः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाधि + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (समाधौ स्थितः)

• जपम्: muttering/prayer
• जपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्वन्: doing, performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle—शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied (with offerings)
• संतर्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त/ल्यपन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• पितृदेवताः: the Pitṛ-deities (ancestors)
• पितृदेवताः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (पितर एव देवताः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kauśikī-tīrtha (ford/ghāṭa)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṛcīka stands waist-deep in the river completing snāna, then sits on the sandy bank in meditation, rosary in hand, with small water-offerings (tarpana) indicated by cupped palms; subtle presence of pitṛs and devas receiving offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ṛcīka
• Kauśikī
• Pitṛs
• Devatās

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha bears fruit when joined with inner discipline—bathing, meditation, mantra-recitation, and reverence to ancestors and gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kauśikī river tīrtha at Bhojakaṭa (introduced just prior).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing), japa (mantra recitation), and tarpaṇa/santarpana to Pitṛs and devatās.