Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

मांसाद उवाच । इतः स्थानान्महाराज नातिदूरे जलाशयः । अस्ति नानाद्रुमोपेतश्चित्ताह्लादकरः परः

Transliteration

māṃsāda uvāca | itaḥ sthānānmahārāja nātidūre jalāśayaḥ | asti nānādrumopetaścittāhlādakaraḥ paraḥ

Translation

มางสาทะกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่มหาราช จากที่นี่ไปไม่ไกลมีสระน้ำแห่งหนึ่ง ประดับด้วยพฤกษานานาพันธุ์ เป็นทิวทัศน์อันประเสริฐที่ชโลมใจให้รื่นรมย์”

Word by Word

• मांसादः: Māṃsāda (proper name)
• मांसादः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—प्रथमा; वचनम्—एकवचनम् (नाम)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लिट् (Perfect); पुरुषः—प्रथम; वचनम्—एकवचनम्; पदम्—परस्मैपदम्

• इतः: from here
• इतः: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (ablatival adverb: ‘from here’)

• स्थानात्: from the place
• स्थानात्: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—पञ्चमी; वचनम्—एकवचनम्

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—सम्बोधन; वचनम्—एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• अतिदूरे: at a very far distance
• अतिदूरे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—सप्तमी; वचनम्—एकवचनम् (locative used adverbially: ‘at too great a distance’)

• जलाशयः: a reservoir/pond
• जलाशयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—प्रथमा; वचनम्—एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य आशयः)

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Existential verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लट् (Present); पुरुषः—प्रथम; वचनम्—एकवचनम्; पदम्—परस्मैपदम्

• नाना: various
• नाना: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/उपपद)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (various, manifold)

• द्रुमोपेतः: endowed with trees
• द्रुमोपेतः: Visheshana (Adjective of जलाशयः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रुम + उपेत (प्रातिपदिक; उप + इ (धातु) → उपेत, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—प्रथमा; वचनम्—एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (द्रुमैः उपेतः = endowed with trees)

• चित्ताह्लादकरः: delighting the mind
• चित्ताह्लादकरः: Visheshana (Adjective of जलाशयः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्त + आह्लाद + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—प्रथमा; वचनम्—एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चित्तस्य आह्लादं करोति)

• परः: excellent, supreme
• परः: Visheshana (Adjective of जलाशयः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; विभक्तिः—प्रथमा; वचनम्—एकवचनम्

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guide (Māṃsāda) points out a nearby reservoir surrounded by diverse trees; the king listens, the scene filled with cool shade and reflective water.

Characters & Entities

• Māṃsāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are often introduced through their sattvic natural beauty, preparing the pilgrim’s mind for dharmic insight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A nearby jalāśaya (lake/reservoir) is indicated, but its proper name is not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse functions as a directional and descriptive lead-in to the tīrtha narrative.