Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

जलाशयं सुगम्भीरं पूर्वोत्तरदिक्संस्थितम् । दृष्ट्वा तत्र प्रविष्टस्तु निभृतं च समाश्रितः

Transliteration

jalāśayaṃ sugambhīraṃ pūrvottaradiksaṃsthitam | dṛṣṭvā tatra praviṣṭastu nibhṛtaṃ ca samāśritaḥ

Translation

ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಈಶಾನ್ಯ ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಗಂಭೀರವಾದ ಜಲಾಶಯವನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ, ಅವನು ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿ ಮೌನವಾಗಿ ಅಡಗಿ ಆಶ್ರಯ ಪಡೆದನು।

Word by Word

• जलाशयम्: a water-reservoir/pond
• जलाशयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जलस्य आशयः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• सुगम्भीरम्: very deep
• सुगम्भीरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गम्भीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु-गम्भीरः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; जलाशयम् इति विशेषणम्

• पूर्व: of the east
• पूर्व: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (दिक्-शब्दस्य विशेषणरूपेण); षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्तर: of the north
• उत्तर: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (दिक्-शब्दस्य विशेषणरूपेण); षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन (Singular)

• दिक्: direction
• दिक्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्/दिक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन (Singular)

• संस्थितम्: situated/placed
• संस्थितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; जलाशयम् इति विशेषणम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• प्रविष्टः: entered
• प्रविष्टः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) प्रयुक्तः; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे (entered)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• निभृतम्: quietly/secretly
• निभृतम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निभृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; (अव्ययभावेन) क्रियाविशेषणवत्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• समाश्रितः: took shelter/resorted
• समाश्रितः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे (took refuge/resorted)

Speaker

Narrator (within Śuka’s recitation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnamed jalāśaya/kuṇḍa in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, profound pond lies to the northeast of the sacred precinct; Agni slips into its depths, his flames subdued, the surface rippling as he hides within.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (implied)
• Jalāśaya (sacred pond/reservoir)
• Northeast direction (pūrvottara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are mapped through natural features—direction, depth, and water—showing how sacred space is recognized and approached.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A deep jalāśaya within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra context (Adhyāya 90), functioning as a key sacred landmark.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the presence of the water-reservoir foreshadows tīrtha practices like snāna typical of such settings.