Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

कदाचिद्राजपुत्रेण विनासौ द्विजनंदनः । स्नातुं गतो नदीतीरे चचार बहुलीलया

Transliteration

kadācidrājaputreṇa vināsau dvijanaṃdanaḥ | snātuṃ gato nadītīre cacāra bahulīlayā

Translation

ഒരിക്കൽ രാജകുമാരനില്ലാതെ ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണപുത്രൻ സ്നാനത്തിനായി നദീതീരത്തേക്ക് പോയി; അവിടെ ഏറെ കളിച്ചുല്ലസിച്ച് സഞ്ചരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once/sometime
• कदाचित्: Desha-kala-adhikarana (Temporal adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (at some time)

• राजपुत्रेण: with the prince
• राजपुत्रेण: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राज्ञः पुत्रः)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोगार्थक उपपद (without)

• असौ: that (person)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (दूरवाचक)

• द्विजनन्दनः: the Brahmin’s son
• द्विजनन्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजस्य नन्दनः)

• स्नातुम्: to bathe
• स्नातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); प्रयोजन (purpose)

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘gone’

• नदीतीरे: on the riverbank
• नदीतीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नद्याः तीरम्)

• चचार: wandered/moved about
• चचार: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• बहुलीलया: with much playfulness
• बहुलीलया: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (बहुला लीला)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young brāhmaṇa boy alone at a riverbank, playful and carefree, moving along the shore with water shimmering; the scene foreshadows discovery.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa boy (Śucivrata implied)
• prince (Dharmagupta implied)
• riverbank

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often show how ordinary acts like river-bathing become gateways to providential events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A riverbank is mentioned but not named; the tīrtha identity is not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the riverbank is described, though not framed here as a formal vow.