Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अथ तस्य मुनींद्रस्य रेतश्चस्कन्द तत्क्षणात् । दृष्ट्वा तां चारुसर्वांगीं जलमध्यं समाश्रिताम्

Transliteration

atha tasya munīṃdrasya retaścaskanda tatkṣaṇāt | dṛṣṭvā tāṃ cārusarvāṃgīṃ jalamadhyaṃ samāśritām

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ മുനീന്ദ്രന്റെ വീര്യം തൽക്ഷണം സ്ഖലിച്ചു; ജലമദ്ധ്യേ ആശ്രയിച്ചിരുന്ന, മനോഹരസർവാംഗസുന്ദരിയെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनीन्द्रस्य: of the lord of sages
• मुनीन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां इन्द्रः)

• रेतः: semen
• रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अस्कन्दत्: fell; was discharged
• अस्कन्दत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्कन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately
• तत्क्षणात्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययप्रयोगः (immediately; at that moment)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having seen'

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• चारुसर्वाङ्गीम्: she whose limbs are all beautiful
• चारुसर्वाङ्गीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to 'ताम्'/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (चारवः सर्वे अङ्गाः यस्याः) — बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः

• जलमध्यम्: the middle of the water
• जलमध्यम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य मध्यम्)

• समाश्रिताम्: having taken refuge in; situated in
• समाश्रिताम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to 'ताम्'/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'having resorted to/being in'

Speaker

Narrator (Brāhmaṇa Vatsa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage’s composure breaks: a subtle but dramatic moment where his seed falls instantly as he beholds the woman in the water; depict inner turmoil through posture and aura rather than explicitness, with the river central.

Characters & Entities

• Devarāta (munīndra, by context)
• Menakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great ascetics may face sudden lapses when confronted by sense-objects; vigilance and inner discipline are implied.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode occurs at a riverbank/waterside sacred setting; tīrtha-glory is carried by the broader narrative rather than a named site in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative moment within the māhātmya.