Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

त्रिशंकुर्नाम राजेंद्रश्चंडालत्वं समागतः । तत्र स्नातः पुनर्लेभे शरीरं पार्थिवोचितम्

Transliteration

triśaṃkurnāma rājeṃdraścaṃḍālatvaṃ samāgataḥ | tatra snātaḥ punarlebhe śarīraṃ pārthivocitam

Translation

ത്രിശങ്കു എന്ന രാജേന്ദ്രൻ ചണ്ഡാലത്വത്തിലേക്ക് പതിച്ചിരുന്നു; എന്നാൽ അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത ശേഷം അവൻ വീണ്ടും രാജോചിതമായ ശരീരം പ്രാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• triśaṃkuḥ: Triśaṅku
• triśaṃkuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: triśaṃku (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Apposition marker (नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (नाम-शब्दः ‘by name’ अर्थे)

• rājendraḥ: king of kings
• rājendraḥ: Apposition to subject (समाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāja + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः)

• caṇḍālatvam: the state of being a caṇḍāla
• caṇḍālatvam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṇḍāla + tva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक (abstract noun)

• samāgataḥ: having attained
• samāgataḥ: Predicate complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + ā + gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि भूतकृदन्त (PPP used in active sense: ‘having attained/come to’)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय

• snātaḥ: having bathed
• snātaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि भूतकृदन्त (having bathed)

• punar: again
• punar: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरित्यव्ययम् (adverb)

• lebhe: obtained
• lebhe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• śarīram: body
• śarīram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pārthiva-ucitam: befitting a king
• pārthiva-ucitam: Adjective of object (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pārthiva + ucita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (pārthivasya ucitam = fit for a king)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triśaṅku, initially shown in distressed, degraded condition, steps into the sacred waters; as he emerges, his form becomes radiant and regal—crowned, clothed as a king—while sages witness the transformation at the tīrtha bank.

Characters & Entities

• Triśaṅku
• Tīrtha (implicit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s purifying power can reverse even extreme disgrace, restoring one’s rightful state through sacred bathing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgara Khaṇḍa tīrtha where Triśaṅku bathed and was purified; the specific name is not given in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha is presented as transformative and purifying.