Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततः संचिंतयामास स्वसुतां च सरस्वतीम् । जन संस्पर्शभीत्या च पातालतलवाहिनीम्

Transliteration

tataḥ saṃciṃtayāmāsa svasutāṃ ca sarasvatīm | jana saṃsparśabhītyā ca pātālatalavāhinīm

Translation

Alors il contempla en son cœur sa propre fille, Sarasvatī—qui, par crainte du contact des hommes, s’écoule à travers les niveaux du Pātāla, le monde d’en bas.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (then)

• संचिन्तयामास: considered/reflected
• संचिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (periphrastic perfect/परिप्रयोग-लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘he reflected/considered’

• स्वसुताम्: his own daughter
• स्वसुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; ‘स्वस्य सुताम्’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• सरस्वतीम्: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• जन: of people
• जन: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘of people’ (saṃsparśabhītyā qualifies)

• संस्पर्शभीत्या: out of fear of contact
• संस्पर्शभीत्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + स्पर्श + भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु; ‘संस्पर्शस्य भीतिः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• पातालतलवाहिनीम्: flowing along the netherworld level
• पातालतलवाहिनीम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाताल + तल + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (सरस्वतीम्); ‘पातालतले वाहिनी’/‘पातालतलस्य वाहिनी’ (तत्पुरुष-समास)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptā Sarasvatī (invoked for the Śucitoya Mahāhrada)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lokeśa meditates upon Sarasvatī as his daughter—an unseen, subterranean river flowing through nether realms; the scene juxtaposes the visible kṣetra with a mystical underworld watercourse.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is safeguarded in sacred geography: the river’s hidden flow symbolizes untarnished sanctity made available by divine intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the establishment of water in Camatkārapura-kṣetra by invoking Sarasvatī’s subterranean presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it narrates the selection/invocation of Sarasvatī as the pure water-source for rites in the kṣetra.