Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

न मां ज्ञास्यति दूरस्था जनाः स्नानार्थमागताः । मज्जमानं जले पुण्ये सम्मर्देऽस्मिञ्जलोद्भवे

Transliteration

na māṃ jñāsyati dūrasthā janāḥ snānārthamāgatāḥ | majjamānaṃ jale puṇye sammarde'smiñjalodbhave

Translation

‘ผู้คนที่มาสำหรับการอาบน้ำและยืนอยู่ไกล จะไม่รู้จักเรา เมื่อเราดำลงในน้ำบุญอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์นี้ ท่ามกลางความเบียดเสียดแห่งฝูงชนที่เกิดจากสายน้ำ’

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• ज्ञास्यति: will recognize
• ज्ञास्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (will know/recognize)

• दूरस्थाः: standing far away
• दूरस्थाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्थ = √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; समासः—दूरे स्थिताः (standing far away); ‘जनाः’ इति विशेषणम्

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नान-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; प्रयोजनार्थक (for bathing)

• आगताः: having come
• आगताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; ‘जनाः’ इति विशेषणम्

• मज्जमानम्: immersing (myself)
• मज्जमानम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मज्ज् (धातु) → मज्जमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘माम्’ इति विशेषणम् (immersing)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन

• पुण्ये: holy
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; ‘जले’ इति विशेषणम् (holy)

• सम्मर्दे: in the crush
• सम्मर्दे: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्मर्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन (in the crush/throng)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location determiner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी; एकवचन; ‘जलोद्भवे’ इति विशेषणम् (in this)

• जलोद्भवे: in Jalodbhava (water-born place/being)
• जलोद्भवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन; समासः—जलात् उद्भवः (water-born; name/epithet of place/being)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from immediate context: Brahmā speaking to Indra in v.40)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyeṣṭhapuṣkara

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, blending into a dense crowd at the ghāṭa, steps into the holy water; faces and bodies press close, splashes rise, and the deity’s identity is veiled by ordinary pilgrim movement.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Pilgrims (janāḥ)
• Puṇya-jala (holy water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity may be present within ordinary crowds at sacred places; reverence for the tīrtha and pilgrims becomes reverence for the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jyeṣṭhapuṣkara/Jyeṣṭha-kuṇḍa and its puṇya waters during the bathing gathering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Immersion/bathing (majjana) in the holy waters during the dense festival crowd.