Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

ततोऽभीष्टां समासाद्य देवतां शिक्यमाश्रितः । उदकं जलमध्ये च तदर्थं प्रक्षिपेद्द्रुतम्

Transliteration

tato'bhīṣṭāṃ samāsādya devatāṃ śikyamāśritaḥ | udakaṃ jalamadhye ca tadarthaṃ prakṣipeddrutam

Translation

അനന്തരം അഭീഷ്ട ദേവതയെ സമീപിച്ച്, ശിക്യത്തിന്റെ (തുലയുടെ തൂങ്ങിയ പായുടെ) ആശ്രയം എടുത്ത്, ആ കർമ്മാർത്ഥം ജലത്തിന്റെ നടുവിൽ വേഗത്തിൽ ഉദകം അർപ്പിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla/Anantarya (Sequence/अनन्तर्य)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रमवाचक) — ‘then’

• अभीष्टाम्: desired
• अभीष्टाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभीष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular; देवताम् विशेषयति

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerund) — ‘having approached/reached’

• देवताम्: deity
• देवताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• शिक्यम्: sling/bag
• शिक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आश्रितः: having taken (it)
• आश्रितः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘having taken hold of/resorted to’

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• जलमध्ये: in the middle of the water
• जलमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Locative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• तदर्थम्: for that purpose
• तदर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास, अव्ययभावे — ‘for that purpose’

• प्रक्षिपेत्: should cast
• प्रक्षिपेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — ‘should throw/cast’

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुतम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक) — adverb ‘quickly’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/श्रेष्ठ पुरुष (narottama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The donor, still supported by the sling-balance, approaches a shrine or deity-image near the water and casts a water-offering into the center of the water.

Characters & Entities

• Devatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual charity becomes complete when it is aligned with deity-invocation and proper ceremonial offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha context is implied, but the exact site name is not present in this verse alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Approach the chosen deity, use the suspended balance/sling, and offer water into the water as part of the rite.