Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तस्य संनिहिता वापी कृता तेन महात्मना । सुनिर्मलजलापूर्णा सर्वतीर्थोपमा शुभा

Transliteration

tasya saṃnihitā vāpī kṛtā tena mahātmanā | sunirmalajalāpūrṇā sarvatīrthopamā śubhā

Translation

അതിന്റെ സമീപത്ത് ആ മഹാത്മാവ് ഒരു വാപി (പടിക്കിണർ/കുളം) നിർമ്മിച്ചു; അതി നിർമ്മല ജലത്തോടെ നിറഞ്ഞതും, ശുഭകരവും, സർവ്വ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളോടും തുല്യവുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that (of him/it)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• संनिहिता: nearby/adjacent
• संनिहिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + नि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं कृदन्तम्; स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; ‘वापी’ इति विशेषणम्

• वापी: a well/pond
• वापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• कृता: was made
• कृता: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘वापी’ इति विशेष्यः

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• सु-निर्मल-जला-पूर्णा: filled with very pure water
• सु-निर्मल-जला-पूर्णा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सु-निर्मलं जलं यस्याः सा; जल-पूर्णा)

• सर्व-तीर्थ-उपमा: comparable to all sacred fords
• सर्व-तीर्थ-उपमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + उपमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वतीर्थैः उपमा/सदृशी)

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; ‘वापी’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrative context (continuation of Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhundhumāra-vāpi (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous stepwell with crystal-clear water beside the shrine; pilgrims descend steps with lamps; reflections of the temple shimmer on the water surface, conveying purity and auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Vāpī (sacred stepwell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are sustained not only by temples but also by sanctified waters; pure water near a shrine is celebrated as tīrtha-like and auspicious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred vāpī adjacent to the Dhundhumāra-installed liṅga site (Dhundhumāreśvara kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, snāna (ritual bathing) is supported by the creation of the vāpī, though the verse mainly describes its sanctity.