Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ततः स पतिते तोये स्तंभः पल्लवशोभितः । तत्क्षणादेव संजज्ञे फल पुष्पैर्विराजितः

Transliteration

tataḥ sa patite toye staṃbhaḥ pallavaśobhitaḥ | tatkṣaṇādeva saṃjajñe phala puṣpairvirājitaḥ

Translation

அந்நீர் விழுந்தவுடன் அந்தத் தூண் புதிய தளிர்களால் அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்டது; அதே கணத்தில் கனிகளும் மலர்களும் பொலிந்து விளங்கியது.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = ‘thereafter/from that’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — pronoun ‘he’

• पतिते: (when) fallen
• पतिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patita (कृदन्त; √पत् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/स्थानवाचक-विशेषण; ‘पतित’ = fallen; toye इति विशेष्ये सति

• तोये: in the water
• तोये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• स्तम्भः: a pillar
• स्तम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stambha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पल्लव-शोभितः: adorned with sprouts/leaves
• पल्लव-शोभितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pallava (प्रातिपदिक) + śobhita (कृदन्त; √शुभ्/√शोभ् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (पल्लवैः शोभितः)

• तत्-क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्-क्षणात्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष-समासः; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणप्रयोगः — ‘from that very moment’

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — emphasis

• संजज्ञे: arose/appeared
• संजज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘was born/arose’

• फल: with fruits
• फल: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (छन्दोवशात् रूपलोप/समासपूर्वपदत्वात्) — ‘with fruits’ (instrumental sense)

• पुष्पैः: with flowers
• पुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• विराजितः: shining, splendid
• विराजितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virājita (कृदन्त; √राज् (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्ग वि-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; स्तम्भः इति विशेष्ये

Speaker

Narrator (exact named speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stone pillar at a sacred spot is sprinkled with fallen water; instantly it sprouts tender shoots and becomes laden with blossoms and fruits, glowing with auspicious radiance as onlookers marvel.

Characters & Entities

• Pillar (staṃbha)
• Fruits (phala)
• Flowers (puṣpa)
• Sprouts (pallava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic Māhātmyas celebrate the immediacy of sacred power—rightly empowered rites can transform the ordinary into a sign of divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse describes a miracle within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but does not itself name the tīrtha; the surrounding chapter context would specify the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The efficacy of śāṃtika water (consecrated water) applied with mantra is demonstrated through the pillar’s transformation.