Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ततोऽवगाहते यावत्तस्यास्तोयं सुशोभनम् । तावदाकाशसंभूता गम्भीरोवाच भारती

Transliteration

tato'vagāhate yāvattasyāstoyaṃ suśobhanam | tāvadākāśasaṃbhūtā gambhīrovāca bhāratī

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൻ അവളുടെ അതിശോഭനമായ ജലത്തിൽ അവഗാഹനം ചെയ്യാൻ തുടങ്ങുമ്പോൾ, അതേ നിമിഷം ആകാശത്തിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന ഗംഭീരമായ ഭാരതീ വാണി പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: 'ततः/then'

• avagāhate: (he) bathes/immerses
• avagāhate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava√gāh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपद; धातु: अवगाह् = to plunge/bathe

• yāvat: as long as, until
• yāvat: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/परिमाणवाचक) = indeclinable; 'यावत्' = as long as/until

• tasyāḥ: of her/its
• tasyāḥ: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम 'तद्'

• toyām: water
• toyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• suśobhanam: very beautiful
• suśobhanam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-śobhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समास: सु + शोभन = 'very beautiful'

• tāvat: so long, for that time
• tāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/कालवाचक) = so long/that long

• ākāśa-saṃbhūtā: arisen from the sky
• ākāśa-saṃbhūtā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃ√bhū (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) 'सम्भूत' = arisen; समास: आकाशात् सम्भूता (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष)

• gambhīraḥ: deep, grave
• gambhīraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gambhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (वाचः/स्वरस्य)

• uvāca: said, spoke
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 'उवाच' = said/spoke

• bhāratī: Bhāratī (speech/Sarasvatī)
• bhāratī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāratī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (सरस्वती/वाणी)

Speaker

Bhāratī (a divine voice; Sarasvatī epithet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī (Gaṅgā as Viṣṇu-pādodaka)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa steps into luminous river-water; at the instant of immersion, an unseen celestial voice (Bhāratī) resounds from the sky; ripples glow as if responding to the proclamation.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāratī
• Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a tīrtha is approached with sincerity, divine assurance may arise—confirming purification and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā waters, described as ‘suśobhana’ and worthy of immersion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avagāha (ritual immersion/bathing) in the sacred waters.