Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ततः सरस्वतीं प्राप्य पुण्यां शीतजलां नदीम् । सेवितां मुनिसंघैस्तां लोलकल्लोलमालिनीम्

Transliteration

tataḥ sarasvatīṃ prāpya puṇyāṃ śītajalāṃ nadīm | sevitāṃ munisaṃghaistāṃ lolakallolamālinīm

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം അവൻ പുണ്യവും ശീതളജലവും ഉള്ള സരസ്വതി നദിയെ പ്രാപിച്ചു—മുനിസംഘങ്ങൾ സേവിക്കുന്ന, കളിയാടുന്ന തരംഗമാലകളാൽ അലങ്കൃതമായതിനെ.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala/Anukrama (Temporal sequence/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/क्रम (then)

• सरस्वतीम्: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + य (ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्यय-कृदन्त (ल्यप्/gerund); ‘having reached’

• पुण्याम्: holy
• पुण्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (नदीम्-विशेषण)

• शीतजलाम्: with cool water
• शीतजलाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शीतं जलं यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (नदीम्-विशेषण)

• नदीम्: river
• नदीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• सेविताम्: frequented/served
• सेविताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → सेवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (ताम्/नदीम्-विशेषण); कर्मणि-भाव (served/visited)

• मुनिसंघैः: by groups of sages
• मुनिसंघैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + संघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मुनिनां संघैः); पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• ताम्: that (river)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; (नदीम्-सम्बन्धि)

• लोलकल्लोलमालिनीम्: garlanded with playful waves
• लोलकल्लोलमालिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोल (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्लोल (प्रातिपदिक) + मालिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लोलाः कल्लोलाः यस्याः सा मालिनी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (ताम्/नदीम्-विशेषण)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim arrives at the Sarasvatī: a cool, luminous river with playful rolling waves; sages line the banks in meditation and ritual service.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• sages (muni-saṃgha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rivers are living tīrthas—approached with reverence, they grant merit and spiritual cooling of inner heat.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī river as a tīrtha, celebrated as puṇyā (merit-bestowing) and sage-frequented.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly prepares for river-based rites (especially snāna), which are stated explicitly later.