Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ततः स विस्मयाविष्टः स्वयं सस्नौ कुतूहलात् । यावच्छुक्लत्वमापन्नस्तादृक्कृष्णवपुर्धरः

Transliteration

tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭaḥ svayaṃ sasnau kutūhalāt | yāvacchuklatvamāpannastādṛkkṛṣṇavapurdharaḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ସେ ବିସ୍ମୟାବିଷ୍ଟ ହୋଇ କୁତୁହଳରେ ନିଜେ ସେଠାରେ ସ୍ନାନ କଲା—ଯେ କଳାବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଦେହ ଧାରଣ କରିଥିଲା, ସେ ଶୁକ୍ଳତ୍ୱ (ଶୁଦ୍ଧ ଉଜ୍ଜ୍ୱଳତା) ପାଇଲା।”

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/कालवाचक (from there/then)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• विस्मयाविष्टः: overcome with wonder
• विस्मयाविष्टः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + आविष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √विश्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); विशेषण (overcome by astonishment)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-viseshana (Agentive adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मकर्तृत्ववाचक (by oneself)

• सस्नौ: bathed
• सस्नौ: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कुतूहलात्: out of curiosity
• कुतूहलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन

• यावत्: until/as much as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिसूचक (as far as/so long as)

• शुक्लत्वम्: whiteness
• शुक्लत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्लत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• आपन्नः: having become/attained
• आपन्नः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + पद् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; (having attained/become)

• तादृक्: such
• तादृक्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (of such a kind)

• कृष्णवपुर्धरः: one bearing a dark body
• कृष्णवपुर्धरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √धृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; (कृष्णं वपुः धरति इति)

Speaker

Narrator (unspecified; Purāṇic narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man steps into a sacred pond; as he bathes, his dark complexion becomes radiant/white, onlookers astonished; water glows subtly, lotuses and ripples emphasize miracle.

Characters & Entities

• Jalāśaya (implicitly, the sacred reservoir)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha is a vehicle of śuddhi—purification can be immediate when one approaches sacred waters with sincerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The previously mentioned jalāśaya (sacred reservoir) whose bath produces visible purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in the sacred reservoir as a means of purification.