Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

स्नानार्थं तज्जलं साऽथ प्रविवेश वराप्सराः

Transliteration

snānārthaṃ tajjalaṃ sā'tha praviveśa varāpsarāḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ അപ്സരസ് സ്നാനാർത്ഥം ആ ജലത്തിലേക്ക് പ്രവേശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• snāna-artham: for bathing
• snāna-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose) ‘for bathing’

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular (she)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha/Discourse (अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक अव्यय (sequencing particle: then)

• praviveśa: entered
• praviveśa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś + pra (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

• varāpsarāḥ: the excellent apsaras (Rambhā)
• varāpsarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara-apsaras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनार्थे बहुवचन-रूप (काव्ये/जातिवाचक) वा पाठान्तरानुसार प्रथमा बहुवचन — here used for Rambhā as ‘the excellent apsaras’; समासः (कर्मधारय)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rambhā steps into the clear pond for bathing; water ripples around her; lotuses and reeds frame the scene; the bank and hermitage remain nearby, unseen or partially shown to preserve suspense.

Characters & Entities

• Rambhā
• Sacred water (jala)
• Snāna (bathing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters invite purification through snāna, yet the same setting can become a ground of temptation—purity must be inward as well as outward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred body of water near Jābāli’s dwelling is implied; the tīrtha name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) is mentioned as the immediate act.