Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

तत्राऽसौ स्नानमात्रेण तत्क्षणात्पार्थिवोतमः । कुष्ठव्याधिवि निर्मुक्तः संजातः सुमहाद्युतिः

Transliteration

tatrā'sau snānamātreṇa tatkṣaṇātpārthivotamaḥ | kuṣṭhavyādhivi nirmuktaḥ saṃjātaḥ sumahādyutiḥ

Translation

அங்கே வெறும் நீராடியதாலேயே அந்தச் சிறந்த அரசன் உடனே குஷ்டநோயிலிருந்து விடுபட்டு, மிகுந்த ஒளியுடன் பிரகாசித்தான்।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb “there”)

• असौ: that man/he
• असौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masc.)

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्नानस्य मात्रम् = mere bathing) (Instr. sg. neut.)

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Apādāna (Point of time; from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (तस्मिन् क्षणे) (Abl. sg. masc.); “immediately/from that moment”

• पार्थिवोत्तमः: the best of kings
• पार्थिवोत्तमः: Karta (Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमः पार्थिवः) (Nom. sg. masc.)

• कुष्ठव्याधिभिः: from leprosy-diseases
• कुष्ठव्याधिभिः: Karaṇa (Cause/with respect to affliction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (कुष्ठरूपा व्याधयः) (Instr. pl. masc.); पाठे 'कुष्ठव्याधिवि' इति लेखनदोषः, अपेक्षितम् 'कुष्ठव्याधिभिः'

• निर्मुक्तः: was freed
• निर्मुक्तः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-√मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; “freed/released”

• संजातः: became
• संजातः: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; “became/arose”

• सुमहाद्युतिः: one of very great radiance
• सुमहाद्युतिः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (सुमहती द्युतिः यस्य) बहुव्रीहिवत् अर्थः, परन्तु रूपेण कर्मधारय-समासः (Nom. sg. masc.)

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king steps into the clear kund; as water touches him, diseased marks vanish; his body becomes luminous; attendants/pilgrims witness in astonishment; a Śiva shrine stands nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkhatīrtha
• snāna (bathing)
• king
• kuṣṭha-vyādhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When approached with faith and dharmic intent, tīrtha-waters are depicted as channels of immediate divine purification and renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha (in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra), whose waters grant liberation from disease.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha is stated as the direct means of receiving the benefit.