Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अर्घ्यः कार्यस्ततो विष्णोः सरिद्भिः सप्तसागरैः । पुनराचमनं कार्यममृतेन जगत्पतेः

Transliteration

arghyaḥ kāryastato viṣṇoḥ saridbhiḥ saptasāgaraiḥ | punarācamanaṃ kāryamamṛtena jagatpateḥ

Translation

Alors, qu’on offre l’arghya à Viṣṇu avec l’eau conçue comme les fleuves et les sept océans. Puis, qu’on accomplisse de nouveau l’ācāmana pour le Seigneur du monde avec l’eau envisagée comme l’amṛta, le nectar d’immortalité.

Word by Word

• अर्घ्यः: arghya offering
• अर्घ्यः: Karma/Topic (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (arghya-offering)

• कार्यः: should be done
• कार्यः: Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; ‘to be done’ (gerundive)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानार्थक-अव्यय; adverb (then/thereafter/from that)

• विष्णोः: of Vishnu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Genitive singular (of Vishnu)

• सरिद्भिः: with rivers
• सरिद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (with rivers)

• सप्तसागरैः: with the seven oceans
• सप्तसागरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; द्विगु-समासः (सप्त सागराः)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय; adverb (again)

• आचमनम्: sipping (ācamanam)
• आचमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-√चम् (धातु) → आचमन (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; verbal noun (sipping/ācamanam)

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be done’ (gerundive)

• अमृतेन: with nectar
• अमृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (with nectar)

• जगत्पतेः: of the Lord of the world
• जगत्पतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Genitive singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः पतिः)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (deductive attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers arghya; within the water’s surface appear miniature waves and symbols of seven oceans and many rivers converging; then the devotee performs ācamana with a luminous, nectar-like glow in the spoon/vessel before Viṣṇu.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Sapta-sāgara (seven oceans)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All sacred waters of the world can be gathered through devotional intention, making worship universal and tīrtha-rich wherever performed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rather than one location, the verse glorifies the entire sacred hydroscape—rivers and the seven oceans—drawn into the rite as tīrtha-power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer arghya to Viṣṇu while invoking rivers and the seven oceans; then perform ācamana again, imagining the water as amṛta.