Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

येन सत्येन भक्त्याद्य स्नपनायाहमागता । शिवस्य तेन सत्येन भूयान्मे सुतसंगमः

Transliteration

yena satyena bhaktyādya snapanāyāhamāgatā | śivasya tena satyena bhūyānme sutasaṃgamaḥ

Translation

« Par cette vérité — par laquelle, animée de bhakti, je suis venue aujourd’hui me baigner au lieu sacré pour Śiva — par cette même vérité, que me soit accordée la réunion avec mon enfant. »

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध/हेतौ (by which)

• सत्येन: by the truth (of my vow)
• सत्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘truth/vow’

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• स्नपनाय: for bathing (ritual ablution)
• स्नपनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for bathing/ablution)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आगता: have come
• आगता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृत्; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आगतवती’ (have come)

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘by that’

• सत्येन: by the truth
• सत्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• भूयान्: may there be
• भूयान्: Kriya (Benediction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + यान् (विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-रूप)
• Form: आशीर्लिङ् (Benedictive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘भूयात्’ अर्थे वैदिक/काव्य-रूप ‘भूयान्’ (may it be)

• मे: for me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) / चतुर्थी (4th) एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक (my/for me)

• सुत-संगमः: reunion with (my) son
• सुत-संगमः: Karta (Subject of optative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक) + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सुतस्य संगमः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Nandinī (the cow) — inferred

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama (addressed brāhmaṇa listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandinī utters a solemn truth-formula: ‘By the truth that I came today in devotion to bathe for Śiva, may I be reunited with my child’; the forest peril becomes a sacred courtroom of truth.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• snāna (sacred bathing)
• satya (truth)
• suta (offspring)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truthfulness) and bhakti (devotion) are presented as spiritually efficacious powers that protect and restore what is righteous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Śiva-related bathing tīrtha is implied (snapanāya), but the verse itself does not name the location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing/ablution) undertaken in devotion to Śiva.