Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्प्रक्षिप्तमात्राणि वस्त्राणीमानि तत्क्षणात् । ईदृग्वर्णानि जातानि विस्मयस्य हि कारणम्

Transliteration

tasminprakṣiptamātrāṇi vastrāṇīmāni tatkṣaṇāt | īdṛgvarṇāni jātāni vismayasya hi kāraṇam

Translation

ആ ജലത്തിൽ വെറും എറിഞ്ഞതുമാത്രത്തിൽ തന്നെ ഈ വസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ തത്സമയത്തിൽ അത്തരം ശുദ്ധവർണ്ണം കൈവരിച്ചു; അതു തന്നെയായിരുന്നു വിസ്മയകാരണം.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (place/thing)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे समानरूपम्; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रक्षिप्त-मात्राणि: just thrown in (only inserted)
• प्रक्षिप्त-मात्राणि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-क्षिप् (धातु) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः) ‘प्रक्षिप्तस्य मात्रम्’ इति; कृदन्त-विशेषणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वस्त्राणि: cloths, garments
• वस्त्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इमानि: these
• इमानि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्-क्षणात्: immediately, at that very moment
• तत्-क्षणात्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययप्रयोगः (adverbial) ‘तत्क्षणात्’ = तत्क्षणे एव/तत्क्षणम्

• ईदृक्-वर्णानि: such colors
• ईदृक्-वर्णानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईदृश्/ईदृक् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः ‘ईदृशाः वर्णाः’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जातानि: became, arose
• जातानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘जात’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural); (अर्थे) ‘became/appeared’

• विस्मयस्य: of wonder
• विस्मयस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis/connection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• कारणम्: cause, reason
• कारणम्: Karta/Predicative nominative (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Rajaka (continuing his account to the Brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a luminous waterbody, devotees toss garments into the water; the cloth instantly turns bright and pure, onlookers raising hands in astonishment; ripples shimmer like silver.

Characters & Entities

• jalāśaya (pond)
• vastra (garments)
• tīrtha effect (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is portrayed as immediately transformative—purifying what seems ruined and restoring auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular sacred water-reservoir (jalāśaya) is praised by its effect; its proper name is not included in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practical purification by immersing/placing items in the tīrtha-water is implied; the verse highlights the immediate sacred efficacy.