Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

सलिलेन विना यस्मान्न क्रिया संप्रवर्तते । तस्मादत्र मया कार्यः शुचितोयो महाह्रदः

Transliteration

salilena vinā yasmānna kriyā saṃpravartate | tasmādatra mayā kāryaḥ śucitoyo mahāhradaḥ

Translation

水なくしては一切の宗教儀礼は成り立たぬ。ゆえにここに、清らかな水に満ちた大いなる湖を我は造らねばならぬ。

Word by Word

• सलिलेन: with water
• सलिलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Prepositional relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपातः; ‘without’ (योगे तृतीया/पञ्चमी)

• यस्मात्: because (of which)
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (because of which/for which reason)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• क्रिया: ritual action
• क्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• संप्रवर्तते: proceeds/commences
• संप्रवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘proceeds/starts’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Inference connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; तसिल्/पञ्चमी-अर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृकरणभाव (by me)

• कार्यः: to be made/should be made
• कार्यः: Vidhyartha (Obligation predicate/विध्यर्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त भाव्य/कर्तव्यतावाचक कृदन्त (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘to be made/should be done’ (mahāhradaḥ qualifies)

• शुचितोयः: with pure water
• शुचितोयः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘शुचि तोयम् यस्य’/‘शुचि-तोयः’ (pure-watered)

• महाह्रदः: a great lake
• महाह्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महान् ह्रदः’

Speaker

Lokeśa (as the immediately acting divine agent in the narrative) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śucitoya Mahāhrada (to be created at Camatkārapura)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lokeśa declares the necessity of water and resolves to create a vast, crystal-clear lake within the kṣetra; the ground seems to open to receive pure waters.

Characters & Entities

• Salila (water)
• Mahāhrada (great lake)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred practice requires practical supports; pure water is essential for purification, offerings, and the continuity of dhārmic rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Camatkārapura-kṣetra, where a pure-water great lake is to be established to sustain tīrtha-rituals.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The enabling condition for rites is stated: water is indispensable; hence the creation/availability of pure water for ritual performance (snāna, ācamana, offerings).