Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्याग्रे कारयामास वापीं स्वच्छोदकान्विताम् । सोपानपंक्तिभिर्युक्तां साधुभिः संप्रशंसिताम्

Transliteration

tasyāgre kārayāmāsa vāpīṃ svacchodakānvitām | sopānapaṃktibhiryuktāṃ sādhubhiḥ saṃpraśaṃsitām

Translation

അവന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ അവൻ സുതാര്യജലത്തോടെ നിറഞ്ഞ ഒരു വാപി (പടിക്കിണർ) പണിയിച്ചു; അത് പടികളുടെ നിരകളാൽ യുക്തവും സജ്ജനന്മാർ ഏറെ പ്രശംസിച്ചതുമായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun, Genitive (6th), Singular

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular; स्थानवाचक

• कारयामास: caused to be made
• कारयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिप्रास-परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Perfect (periphrastic), 3rd person, Singular; causative

• वापीम्: a well/pond
• वापीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• स्वच्छोदकान्विताम्: endowed with clear water
• स्वच्छोदकान्विताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वच्छ + उदक + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (‘स्वच्छं उदकं’ इति; ‘स्वच्छोदक’ + ‘अन्वित’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषणम् (वापीम्)

• सोपानपंक्तिभिः: with rows of steps
• सोपानपंक्तिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोपान + पंक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (‘सोपानानां पंक्तिः’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• युक्ताम्: provided/connected (with)
• युक्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; युज् धातोः क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषणम् (वापीम्)

• साधुभिः: by the virtuous/saints
• साधुभिः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• संप्रशंसिताम्: highly praised
• संप्रशंसिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु) + सम्-उपसर्ग + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषणम् (वापीम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual purāṇic narrator; unspecified in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Before the temple, artisans complete a pristine step-well with descending stone steps; sādhus and townsfolk admire the clear water and orderly architecture.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creating public sources of pure water is praised as dharma and a tīrtha-supporting act that generates lasting puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A local tīrtha setting in Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya is implied, centered on a newly constructed vāpī that becomes renowned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the meritorious act is the construction of a clean-water vāpī with accessible steps.