Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तथेयं या त्वया वापी निर्मिता विमलोदका । राजवापीति विख्याता लोके सेयं भविष्यति

Transliteration

tatheyaṃ yā tvayā vāpī nirmitā vimalodakā | rājavāpīti vikhyātā loke seyaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

നീ നിർമ്മിച്ച ഈ നിർമ്മലജലമുള്ള വാപി ലോകത്തിൽ ‘രാജവാപി’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമാകും।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• इयम्: this (she/this one)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• या: which, who
• या: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक यत्-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• वापी: stepwell, tank
• वापी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāpī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• निर्मिता: constructed, made
• निर्मिता: Karma (Predicate participle linked to subject/कर्मणि-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√mā (धाातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (PPP: ‘made/constructed’)

• विमल-उदका: having pure water
• विमल-उदका: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimala (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्य: ‘pure-watered’)

• राज-वापी-इति: “Rājavāpī” (so called)
• राज-वापी-इति: Sambandha (Naming/उक्ति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + vāpī (प्रातिपदिक) + iti (अव्यय)
• Form: ‘इति’ इत्यनेन नामनिर्देशः; पूर्वपदं ‘राजवापी’ (कर्मधारय-समास: ‘royal tank’) + इति (quotative particle)

• विख्याता: renowned, well-known
• विख्याता: Karma (Predicate participle/कर्मणि-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√khyā (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘प्रसिद्धा’ अर्थे

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन

• सा: she/that (same)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तद्-सर्वनाम

• इयम्: this (one)
• इयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rājavāpī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A newly built step-well with clear, shimmering water; a divine figure pronounces its future fame as ‘Rājavāpī’ while the king stands reverently beside the masonry steps and carved pillars.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Rājavāpī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic public works become enduring tīrtha-markers; purity of water and intention yields lasting renown and puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The vāpī is explicitly named and glorified as “Rājavāpī,” destined for fame as a sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the focus is on tīrtha-creation through constructing a pure-water vāpī.