Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

स्वच्छोदकेन संपूर्णं पद्मिनीषंडमंडितम् । ततश्चांद्रायणं चक्रे तपसः प्रथमं व्रतम्

Transliteration

svacchodakena saṃpūrṇaṃ padminīṣaṃḍamaṃḍitam | tataścāṃdrāyaṇaṃ cakre tapasaḥ prathamaṃ vratam

Translation

ആ ജലാശയം സുതാര്യജലത്തോടെ നിറഞ്ഞതും താമരക്കൂട്ടങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കൃതവുമായിരുന്നു. അവിടെ അവൾ തപസ്സിന്റെ ആദ്യ വ്രതമായ ചാന്ദ്രായണം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• svaccha-udakena: with clear water
• svaccha-udakena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svaccha + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः ‘स्वच्छं उदकम्’

• saṃpūrṇam: filled/complete
• saṃpūrṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃpūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक; sam-√pṝ धातु)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• padminī-ṣaṇḍa-maṇḍitam: adorned with clusters of lotus-plants
• padminī-ṣaṇḍa-maṇḍitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: padminī + ṣaṇḍa + maṇḍita (प्रातिपदिक; √maṇḍ धातु)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘पद्मिनीनां षण्डेन मण्डितम्’

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘thereafter’

• cāṃdrāyaṇam: the Cāndrāyaṇa vow
• cāṃdrāyaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāṃdrāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• cakre: performed/did
• cakre: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tapasaḥ: of austerity
• tapasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• prathamam: first
• prathamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• vratam: vow
• vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration from the prior verse context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pristine lotus-pond under gentle light; the brāhmaṇī begins Cāndrāyaṇa with composed posture—perhaps seated on kuśa grass near the water, with a small pūjā setup.

Characters & Entities

• Cāndrāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha-like setting supports disciplined austerity; the narrative highlights beginning tapas with a structured vow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A clear-water lotus pond is described; the verse emphasizes its sacred suitability though it does not provide a proper name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cāndrāyaṇa vrata—fasting regulated according to the waxing and waning of the moon.