Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

विदार्य भूमिं संजाता जलधारा सुशीतला । निर्मलं पावनं स्वच्छं गंगांभ इव निःसृतम्

Transliteration

vidārya bhūmiṃ saṃjātā jaladhārā suśītalā | nirmalaṃ pāvanaṃ svacchaṃ gaṃgāṃbha iva niḥsṛtam

Translation

ഭൂമിയെ പിളർത്തി അതിശീതളമായ ജലധാര ഉദിച്ചു—നിർമലം, പാവനം, സ്വച്ഛം—ഗംഗാജലമെന്നപോലെ നിസ്സൃതമായി ഒഴുകി।

Word by Word

• विदार्य: having split
• विदार्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + दॄ (धातु) → विदार्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'having split'

• भूमिम्: the earth/ground
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; object of विदार्य

• संजाता: arose/was produced
• संजाता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु) → संजात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle used predicatively), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; agrees with जलधारा

• जलधारा: a stream of water
• जलधारा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—जलस्य धारा

• सुशीतला: very cool
• सुशीतला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + शीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् जलधारा—'very cool'

• निर्मलम्: pure
• निर्मलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (niḥsṛtam/ambhaḥ implied)

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• स्वच्छम्: clear
• स्वच्छम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• गंगाम्भः: the water of the Ganges
• गंगाम्भः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भस्/अम्भः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—गङ्गायाः अम्भः; 'Ganga-water'

• इव: like
• इव: Upama (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• निःसृतम्: issued forth
• निःसृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस्/निर् + सृ (धातु) → निःसृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicative: 'issued forth' (refers to जल/तोय/अम्भः implied)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ground splits and a crystalline, cool stream bursts forth, sparkling and clean; the flow is depicted with Gaṅgā-like sanctity—lotuses, swans, and a luminous sheen.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Dhārā (stream)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-waters are celebrated as manifest purity—cooling, cleansing, and spiritually equivalent in sanctity to Gaṅgā-like grace.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Dhārā tīrtha within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, praised as Gaṅgā-like in purity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit invitation to reverence the tīrtha-water; explicit snāna instructions follow in later verses.