Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

संस्थाप्य शंकरं देवं तदग्रे निर्मलोदकम् । कृत्वा वापीं सुविस्तीर्णां स्नानात्पातकनाशनीम्

Transliteration

saṃsthāpya śaṃkaraṃ devaṃ tadagre nirmalodakam | kṛtvā vāpīṃ suvistīrṇāṃ snānātpātakanāśanīm

Translation

ശങ്കരദേവനെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ച്, അവന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ നിർമലജലം ഒരുക്കി; സ്നാനത്തോടെ പാപനാശം വരുത്തുന്ന വിശാലവും വ്യാപകവുമായ ഒരു വാപി (പുണ്യകുളം) അവൾ നിർമ്മിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• संस्थाप्य: having installed
• संस्थाप्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√स्था (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having installed/established)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative, Singular)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Visheshya/Visheshana-bhava (विशेष्य/विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative, Singular); शंकरस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• तदग्रे: in front of him/it
• तदग्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; सप्तमी-अर्थे अव्यय (locative adverb): 'तस्य अग्रे'

• निर्मलोदकम्: pure water
• निर्मलोदकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (निर्मलं उदकम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative, Singular)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• वापीम्: a well/pond
• वापीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative, Singular)

• सुविस्तीर्णाम्: very spacious, well-extended
• सुविस्तीर्णाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + विस्तीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तॄ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative, Singular); विशेषण (वापीम्)

• स्नानात्: from/through bathing
• स्नानात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; पञ्चमी (Ablative, Singular); हेतौ/कारणे (as cause: 'by bathing')

• पातकनाशनीम्: sin-destroying
• पातकनाशनीम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पातकस्य नाशिनी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (Accusative, Singular); विशेषण (वापीम्)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator, implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a sacred clearing, the woman installs Śaṅkara (liṅga) on a pedestal; before it she places vessels of crystal-clear water; nearby workers or divine assistance shape a wide tank (vāpī) whose waters gleam, signifying sin-destruction.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• vāpī (sacred tank)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creating and maintaining sacred waters as an offering to Śiva becomes a public dharmic act that purifies many through snāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A newly made vāpī/tīrtha is praised as “sin-destroying by bathing,” though the proper name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva स्थापना (installation), offering pure water, and snāna in the vāpī for removal of pātaka (sins).