Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

वैवस्वत्यां तिथौ चैव प्राप्ता घर्मपीडिताः । कंचिज्जलाशयं प्राप्य प्रविष्टाः सलिलं शुभम्

Transliteration

vaivasvatyāṃ tithau caiva prāptā gharmapīḍitāḥ | kaṃcijjalāśayaṃ prāpya praviṣṭāḥ salilaṃ śubham

Translation

വൈവസ്വതീ തിഥിയിലും, കത്തുന്ന ചൂടാൽ പീഡിതരായി അവർ ഒരു ജലാശയത്തിലെത്തി, അതിലെ ശുഭജലത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• वैवस्वत्याम्: on the Vaivasvatī tithi
• वैवस्वत्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular (tithi-name)

• तिथौ: on the lunar day
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• प्राप्ताः: having reached/arrived
• प्राप्ताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• घर्मपीडिताः: tormented by heat
• घर्मपीडिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (घर्मेण पीडिताः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Determinative compound, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कंचित्: some (a certain)
• कंचित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अनिश्चित/कश्चित्-प्रयोग, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (जलाशयम् इति सह) — Indefinite pronoun/adjective, Accusative, Singular

• जलाशयम्: water-reservoir/pond
• जलाशयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (जलस्य आशयः) — Accusative, Singular; determinative compound

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having reached

• प्रविष्टाः: entered
• प्रविष्टाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शुभम्: auspicious/pure
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (agreeing with ‘सलिलम्’)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Heat-stricken sages reach a pond/stepwell; they descend steps and immerse in clear water; steam-like heat haze dissipates; the scene shifts from harsh sunlight to cool tranquility.

Characters & Entities

• Vaivasvatī tithi
• Jalāśaya (sacred reservoir)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Entering a tīrtha’s waters with need and sincerity becomes a doorway to purification and transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘certain jalāśaya’ is the sacred water-body that will be identified as Rūpatīrtha through its miraculous effect.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna—ritual immersion in auspicious waters—is the central act.