Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

किं वा जलाशयं कंचित्प्राप्य गाधमजानती । निमग्ना तत्र सा बाला संप्रविष्टा जलार्थिनी

Transliteration

kiṃ vā jalāśayaṃ kaṃcitprāpya gādhamajānatī | nimagnā tatra sā bālā saṃpraviṣṭā jalārthinī

Translation

“അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വെള്ളം തേടി ആ ബാലിക ഏതെങ്കിലും കുളത്തിൽ എത്തി, അതിന്റെ ആഴം അറിയാതെ അതിൽ ഇറങ്ങി അവിടെ തന്നെ മുങ്ങിയോ?”

Word by Word

• किम्: or what?
• किम्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक-प्रयोगः — interrogative particle ‘what?/whether’

• वा: or
• वा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प) — disjunctive particle ‘or’

• जलाशयम्: a water-reservoir/pond
• जलाशयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + आशय (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• कंचित्: some
• कंचित्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक — Masculine, Accusative singular; qualifying जलाशयम्

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष अव्यय (gerund) — indeclinable ‘having reached’

• गाधम्: depth/deepness
• गाधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• अजानती: not knowing
• अजानती: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त; नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, नञ्-पूर्वक — Feminine, Nominative singular; ‘not knowing’

• निमग्ना: submerged/sunk
• निमग्ना: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + मज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — Feminine, Nominative singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — indeclinable adverb of place

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular

• बाला: the girl
• बाला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular

• संप्रविष्टा: entered
• संप्रविष्टा: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — Feminine, Nominative singular

• जलार्थिनी: seeking water
• जलार्थिनी: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण — Feminine, Nominative singular; qualifying बाला

Speaker

Jābāli (continuing lament)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A darkening pond with ripples; Jābāli stands at the bank, peering into the water, imagining his daughter submerged; reeds sway, and the water reflects the last light of sunset, creating a haunting stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Jābāli
• jalāśaya (pond/reservoir)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Need and haste can lead to danger; the Purāṇic frame often contrasts human vulnerability with the eventual protection found through sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is contextual to the broader Tīrthamāhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates a feared possibility (drowning).