Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 190

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वं जलमध्यस्थस्तं मंत्रं जप सादरम् । येन पापं क्षयं याति कृतमप्यन्यजन्मनि

Transliteration

tasmāttvaṃ jalamadhyasthastaṃ maṃtraṃ japa sādaram | yena pāpaṃ kṣayaṃ yāti kṛtamapyanyajanmani

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് നീ ജലത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യേ നിലകൊണ്ട് ആ മന്ത്രം ആദരത്തോടെ ജപിക്ക; അതിനാൽ മറ്റുജന്മത്തിൽ ചെയ്ത പാപവും ക്ഷയിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘therefore/from that’

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• जलमध्यस्थः: standing in mid-water
• जलमध्यस्थः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + मध्य + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘standing in the middle of water’; qualifies ‘त्वम्’

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular; refers to ‘मन्त्रम्’

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• जप: recite
• जप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative, 2nd sg

• सादरम्: reverently
• सादरम्: Sambandha/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स + आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे द्वितीया-एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषण); adverbial accusative ‘with respect’

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun, instrumental singular

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• क्षयम्: destruction; end
• क्षयम्: Gati/Karma (Result/Goal/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (goal/state)

• याति: goes; reaches
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 3rd sg

• कृतम्: done; committed
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृत् (past participle) qualifying ‘पापम्’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) ‘even’

• अन्यजन्मनि: in another birth
• अन्यजन्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

Speaker

Suvrata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee waist-deep in a river/kunda at dawn, hands in añjali, lips moving in japa; ripples radiate outward; faint silhouettes of past-life burdens dissolve into the water’s light.

Characters & Entities

• ṣaḍakṣara-mantra (implied)
• jala (waters)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-associated practice—water-abiding austerity joined with mantra—reaches deep karmic layers, even across births.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred water-body (jalāśaya) within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha context; the verse highlights the sanctity of worship performed in/near holy waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Remain in the water (jala-madhya) and perform respectful japa of the Śaiva mantra for purification.