Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तृणस्तम्बं यथा धेन्वा तत्रोत्पाट्य प्रशक्तितः । यथा विनिर्गतं तोयं यथा तेनावगाहितम्

Transliteration

tṛṇastambaṃ yathā dhenvā tatrotpāṭya praśaktitaḥ | yathā vinirgataṃ toyaṃ yathā tenāvagāhitam

Translation

Dia menceritakan bagaimana, seperti seekor lembu mencabut segumpal rumput dengan kuat di situ, air memancut keluar—bagaimana ia muncul, dan bagaimana dia menyelam mandi di dalamnya.

Word by Word

• tṛṇa-stambam: a clump of grass
• tṛṇa-stambam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + stamba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृणानां स्तम्बः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yathā: as, how
• yathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘as/how’ (comparative/correlative)

• dhenvā: by a cow
• dhenvā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhenu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृसहायक (instrumental)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘there’

• utpāṭya: having uprooted
• utpāṭya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-pāṭ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive): ‘having uprooted/pulled out’

• praśaktitaḥ: with great force
• praśaktitaḥ: Kriya (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: praśakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (tasil-derivative adverb): -तः = ‘from/according to’; अर्थे ‘with full force/with great effort’

• yathā: how
• yathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘how/just as’

• vinirgatam: having come out, emerged
• vinirgatam: Karta (State/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-nis-gam (धातु) + nirgata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying toyam)

• toyam: water
• toyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yathā: how
• yathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘how/just as’

• tena: by him/with that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘by him/with that’

• avagāhitam: entered/bathed in
• avagāhitam: Karma (Object implied/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava-gāh (धातु) + avagāhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘entered/bathed in’ (elliptic object: toya)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual narration in Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cow uproots a clump of grass; from the torn earth a clear stream surges out, forming a pool; the cowherd later bathes there as villagers point to the spot.

Characters & Entities

• Dhenu (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is linked to its wondrous manifestation; nature itself (symbolized by the cow) becomes an instrument revealing holy water.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The spring that becomes renowned as Gomukha-tīrtha in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avagāha/snānā (immersion/bathing) in the manifested water.