Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

नरान्स्त्रियः सितैर्वस्त्रैः श्वेतमाल्यानुलेपनैः । श्वेतान्गोवृषभानश्वांस्तीर्थानि विविधानि च

Transliteration

narānstriyaḥ sitairvastraiḥ śvetamālyānulepanaiḥ | śvetāngovṛṣabhānaśvāṃstīrthāni vividhāni ca

Translation

Vê-se homens e mulheres com vestes brancas, adornados com grinaldas brancas e unguentos brancos. Vêem-se também vacas, touros e cavalos brancos, e diversos tīrthas, vaus sagrados.

Word by Word

• नरान्: men
• नरान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन (स्त्री-शब्दस्य द्वितीया बहुवचनरूपम्)

• सितैः: with white
• सितैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• वस्त्रैः: garments/cloths
• वस्त्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• श्वेतमाल्यानुलेपनैः: with white garlands and unguents
• श्वेतमाल्यानुलेपनैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta-mālya-anulepana (श्वेत + माल्य + अनुलेपन) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; बहुपद-कर्मधारय-समास (श्वेतानि माल्यानि अनुलेपनानि च)

• श्वेतान्: white
• श्वेतान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• गोवृषभान्: bulls (of cows)
• गोवृषभान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go-vṛṣabha (गो + वृषभ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (गोवृषभाः = ‘cows/bulls’ as a set expression)

• अश्वान्: horses
• अश्वान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• तीर्थानि: sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• विविधानि: various
• विविधानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic teacher addressing a King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara-associated tīrthas (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dream-vision or inner sight: men and women in white, with white garlands and sandal/unguents; white cows, bulls, and horses appear, along with a panorama of many tīrthas.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is symbolized through whiteness and visions of tīrthas, indicating cleansing of sin and growth of sattva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It speaks of ‘various tīrthas’ seen in auspicious visions, not a single named location in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No additional prescription; it continues the description of auspicious dream-omens following the rite.