Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तत्रोभाभ्यां कृतं स्नानं दिवा सरसि शोभने । घर्मार्त्ताभ्यां श्रमार्त्ताभ्यां कृतदेवार्चनं तथा

Transliteration

tatrobhābhyāṃ kṛtaṃ snānaṃ divā sarasi śobhane | gharmārttābhyāṃ śramārttābhyāṃ kṛtadevārcanaṃ tathā

Translation

Là, tous deux se baignèrent de jour dans un lac splendide ; et, bien que accablés par la chaleur et la fatigue, ils accomplirent pareillement l’adoration de la Divinité.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place)

• उभाभ्याम्: by both (of them)
• उभाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः, पुं/नपुं, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन (dual)

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्नानम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• दिवा: by day, in daytime
• दिवा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of time)

• सरसि: in the lake
• सरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शोभने: beautiful
• शोभने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘सरसि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• घर्मार्त्ताभ्याम्: by the two distressed by heat
• घर्मार्त्ताभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (घर्मेण आर्तौ), पुं/नपुं, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन; ‘उभाभ्याम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• श्रमार्त्ताभ्याम्: by the two distressed by fatigue
• श्रमार्त्ताभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (श्रमेन आर्तौ), पुं/नपुं, तृतीया (3rd/करण), द्विवचन; ‘उभाभ्याम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कृतदेवार्चनम्: worship of the deity performed
• कृतदेवार्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृ+क्त, कृदन्त) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (देवस्य अर्चनम्; कृतम् देव-अर्चनम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/उपसंहारार्थक (indeclinable: ‘also/likewise’)

Speaker

Deductive: narrator (Sūta’s narrative frame) describing the couple’s actions

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-sthāna (with adjacent saras)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two weary pilgrims bathe in a shining lotus-lake under the daytime sun, then proceed—still perspiring—to worship at a Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Snāna
• Saras (lake)
• Deva-arcana
• Mahākāla (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-dharma is perseverance: even when exhausted by heat and labor, devotees maintain snāna and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘beautiful lake’ (saras) within the chapter’s tīrtha setting is implied, but the verse does not provide its proper name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in a saras (lake) and deva-arcana (worship) performed thereafter.