Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

ततो वृद्धतया ये च विशेषाच्छ्वेतमूर्धजाः । ते सस्नुः श्रद्धया युक्तास्तरुणाश्चापि धर्मिणः

Transliteration

tato vṛddhatayā ye ca viśeṣācchvetamūrdhajāḥ | te sasnuḥ śraddhayā yuktāstaruṇāścāpi dharmiṇaḥ

Translation

ನಂತರ ವೃದ್ಧಾಪ್ಯದಿಂದ ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ ಬಿಳಿ ಕೂದಲಿರುವವರು ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಯಿಂದ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿದರು; ಧರ್ಮನಿಷ್ಠ ಯುವಕರೂ ಸಹ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿದರು.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kala-krama (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequence/ablatival adverb)

• वृद्धतया: due to old age
• वृद्धतया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: Prakaraṇa (Emphasis/विशेष)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverb) ‘especially’

• श्वेत-मूर्धजाः: white-haired (persons)
• श्वेत-मूर्धजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्धज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः ‘श्वेताः मूर्धजाः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सस्नुः: bathed
• सस्नुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• युक्ताः: endowed, joined (with)
• युक्ताः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘युक्त’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तरुणाः: young men
• तरुणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya/Avadhāraṇa (also/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• धर्मिणः: righteous, virtuous
• धर्मिणः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Elderly men with naturally white hair and righteous young men enter the water together, hands joined in añjali; the scene conveys intergenerational devotion and calm purity.

Characters & Entities

• Elders
• Young dhārmikas
• Śuklatīrtha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith (śraddhā) and dharmic intent make tīrtha-bathing fruitful for all—elderly and young alike.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha, the bathing place described in this episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha, explicitly performed with śraddhā.