Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

ततःप्रभृति तत्तीर्थं ख्यातिं प्राप्तं महीतले । पाताले स्वर्गलोके च रूपौदार्यप्रदं नृणाम्

Transliteration

tataḥprabhṛti tattīrthaṃ khyātiṃ prāptaṃ mahītale | pātāle svargaloke ca rūpaudāryapradaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

அந்நாள்முதல் அந்தத் தீர்த்தம் பூமியில் புகழ்பெற்றது; பாதாளத்திலும் சுவர்க்கலோகத்திலும் கூட, மனிதர்க்கு அழகும் உயர்ந்த பெருந்தன்மையும் அருள்வதாகும்.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter/from then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/कालार्थे (indeclinable; ablative sense 'from then')

• प्रभृति: starting from
• प्रभृति: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भार्थे (indeclinable; 'beginning from')

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular); विशेषण

• तीर्थम्: holy ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• ख्यातिम्: fame
• ख्यातिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख्याति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine, accusative singular)

• प्राप्तम्: attained/obtained
• प्राप्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (past participle 'obtained/attained')

• महीतले: on the surface of the earth
• महीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही-तल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular); अधिकरण (location)

• पाताले: in the netherworld
• पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular)

• स्वर्गलोके: in heaven-world
• स्वर्गलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग-लोक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (masculine, locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (indeclinable conjunction)

• रूपौदार्यप्रदम्: bestowing beauty and generosity/nobility
• रूपौदार्यप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + औदार्य + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg; qualifying 'tīrtham')

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (masculine, genitive plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvāmitra-kuṇḍa / Viśvāmitreśa-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-śreṣṭhas (assembled sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sacred pond/ford revered across earth, netherworld, and heaven; pilgrims emerge from waters with serene radiance, attended by subtle celestial witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• svarga
• pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha becomes a cosmic landmark—celebrated across realms—because it reliably uplifts human life with auspicious qualities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The renowned tīrtha of Nāgarakhaṇḍa Adhyāya 44 associated with Viśvāmitreśvara and its sacred waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct injunction here; it concludes the māhātmya by stating the tīrtha’s renown and its bestowal of rūpa (beauty) and audārya (nobility).