Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

राजवाप्यां शुचिर्भूत्वा स्नात्वा तर्प्य निजान्पितॄन् । ततश्च चिन्तयामास क्षेत्रे त्र बहुपुण्यदे

Transliteration

rājavāpyāṃ śucirbhūtvā snātvā tarpya nijānpitṝn | tataśca cintayāmāsa kṣetre tra bahupuṇyade

Translation

ครั้นชำระตนให้บริสุทธิ์แล้ว พระองค์สรงสนานในราชวาปี (สระหลวง) และถวายตัรปณะบูชาบรรพชนของพระองค์ให้เป็นสุข; แล้วจึงดำริภายในเขตอันเปี่ยมบุญยิ่งนั้น

Word by Word

• राजवाप्याम्: in the king’s reservoir
• राजवाप्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञः वापी)

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (कर्ता-विशेषण)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम्; भूत्वा = भू + क्त्वा (having become)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम्

• तर्प्य: having satisfied (by offerings)
• तर्प्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (absolutive); तर्पयित्वा (having satisfied/offered libations)

• निजान्: his own
• निजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (पितॄन् इति)

• पितॄन्: ancestors/fathers
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रमवाचकः

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• चिन्तयामास: thought/pondered
• चिन्तयामास: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• त्र: here
• त्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; ‘त्र’ = ‘अत्र’ इत्यर्थे देशवाचक-निपातः (here)

• बहुपुण्यदे: bestowing much merit
• बहुपुण्यदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + पुण्य + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (क्षेत्रे इति); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (बहु पुण्यं ददाति)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rājavāpī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a broad stepped tank, the pilgrim emerges purified, then kneels at the water’s edge offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands; the atmosphere is quiet, with priests and a few lamps; afterward he sits in contemplation within the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Rājavāpī
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity through tīrtha-snāna and gratitude through pitṛ-tarpaṇa together complete dharma and generate abundant merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rājavāpī, a royal sacred tank within this adhyāya’s tīrtha landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) followed by pitṛ-tarpaṇa (libations/offerings to ancestors).