Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

कच्चित्पिबसि पानीयं सप्तवारविशोधितम् । निबिडेन स्ववस्त्रेण पालयंती जलोद्भवान्

Transliteration

kaccitpibasi pānīyaṃ saptavāraviśodhitam | nibiḍena svavastreṇa pālayaṃtī jalodbhavān

Translation

നീ ഏഴുതവണ അരിച്ച് ശുദ്ധീകരിച്ച വെള്ളം കുടിക്കുമോ—കട്ടിയുള്ള വസ്ത്രംകൊണ്ട് സൂക്ഷ്മമായി അരിച്ച്, ജലത്തിൽ ജനിക്കുന്ന സൂക്ഷ്മജീവികളെ സംരക്ഷിച്ച്?

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether? (I hope)
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Discourse/प्रश्नसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• पिबसि: you drink
• पिबसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present Indicative, 2nd person singular)

• पानीयम्: drinking water
• पानीयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पानीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• सप्तवारविशोधितम्: purified seven times
• सप्तवारविशोधितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + वार + विशोधित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘purified seven times’ (सप्तवारैः विशोधितम्)

• निबिडेन: with a thick/dense (cloth)
• निबिडेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निबिड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular)

• स्ववस्त्रेण: with your own cloth
• स्ववस्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular); ‘with one’s own cloth’

• पालयन्ती: (you) protecting/straining
• पालयन्ती: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘protecting/straining’ (agreeing with implied ‘त्वम्’ as feminine addressee)

• जलोद्भवान्: water-born beings (tiny organisms)
• जलोद्भवान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural); ‘water-born (creatures)’

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim kneels by a river/stepwell, pouring water through a folded thick cloth into a vessel, carefully returning tiny creatures to the water; the scene emphasizes gentleness and precision.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahiṃsā extends into daily habits: even while drinking water, one should avoid harming subtle forms of life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named here; the verse emphasizes purity and non-violence within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya ethos.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Filter drinking water multiple times through cloth (a purity-and-ahiṃsā practice) before consuming it.