Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तत्क्रीडाचारुविलसद्वापिका राजहंसके । तद्रूपभावात्कृष्णोऽसौ पद्मायां विगतस्पृहः

Transliteration

tatkrīḍācāruvilasadvāpikā rājahaṃsake | tadrūpabhāvātkṛṣṇo'sau padmāyāṃ vigataspṛhaḥ

Translation

അരയന്നങ്ങൾ വിഹരിക്കുന്ന ആ മനോഹരമായ ക്രീടാസരോവരത്തിൽ, അവളുടെ രൂപഭാവങ്ങളിൽ മുഴുകിയ ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണൻ പദ്മയോട് (ലക്ഷ്മി) പോലും താൽപ്പര്യമില്ലാത്തവനായിത്തീർന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Determiner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपद-निर्देशक (that)

• क्रीडाचारुविलसद्वापिका: the charmingly gleaming play-pond
• क्रीडाचारुविलसद्वापिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडा (प्रातिपदिक) + चारु (प्रातिपदिक) + विलसत् (कृदन्त; विलस् धातु, शतृ) + वापिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: ‘क्रीडायां चारु विलसन्ती वापिका’ (a pond charmingly shining for play)

• राजहंसके: in/at the royal swan (place/setting)
• राजहंसके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजहंसक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Determiner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपद-निर्देशक

• रूपभावात्: from/because of that form-state
• रूपभावात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ-अपादान (ablative of cause): ‘because of that state/form’

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता

• असौ: that (person), he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असौ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• पद्मायाम्: in/for Padmā (Lakṣmī)
• पद्मायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (with respect to Padmā/Lakṣmī)

• विगतस्पृहः: free from desire
• विगतस्पृहः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगत (कृदन्त; वि+गम् धातु, क्त) + स्पृहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विगता स्पृहा यस्य’ (desire gone)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; explicitly identified as Nārada beginning at 51)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Krīḍā-vāpikā (līlā-pond) in Vṛndāvana (unnamed)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous pond with lotuses and gliding royal haṃsas; the divine play sparkles on the water’s edge as Kṛṣṇa, absorbed in her mood, appears detached from all else.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Padmā (Lakṣmī)
• Vāpikā (pond)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights how intense identification (rūpa-bhāva) can overpower even established divine associations, underscoring the power—and peril—of attachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A vāpikā (pond) is described as the līlā-setting; the verse itself does not provide a distinct tīrtha-name, but situates the narrative in sacral landscape imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed in this verse.