Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

युष्मदादेशतोऽद्यैव स्वशरीरविशुद्धये । विश्वावसुश्च तच्छ्रुत्वा वज्रपातोपमं वचः

Transliteration

yuṣmadādeśato'dyaiva svaśarīraviśuddhaye | viśvāvasuśca tacchrutvā vajrapātopamaṃ vacaḥ

Translation

“ตามบัญชาของท่านทั้งหลาย วันนี้เอง เพื่อความบริสุทธิ์แห่งกายของข้าพเจ้า…” วิศวาวสุได้ยินถ้อยคำนั้น—ดุจสายฟ้าวัชระฟาดลงมา

Word by Word

• युष्मत्-आदेशतः: by your command
• युष्मत्-आदेशतः: Hetu/Instrumental sense (कारण/निमित्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मत् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः; समस्तपदम् अव्ययीभाववत् (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त) । आदेशतः = आदेश-प्रातिपदिकात् तसिल् (तः) प्रत्ययः; अव्ययप्रायः; अर्थे: 'आदेशात्/आदेशेन' (Ablatival adverbial: 'by/according to the command').

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• स्व-शरीर-विशुद्धये: for the purification of (one's) own body
• स्व-शरीर-विशुद्धये: Sampradana/Purpose (प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + विशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वशरीरस्य विशुद्धिः) । विशुद्धये = स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचनम् (dative singular)

• विश्वावसुः: Viśvāvasu
• विश्वावसुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वावसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; नाम (proper noun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• तत्: that (speech/statement)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (absolutive/gerund); धातुः: श्रु; अर्थः: 'having heard'

• वज्रपात-उपमम्: like a thunderbolt strike
• वज्रपात-उपमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्रपात (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (वज्रपातस्य उपमम् = like a thunderbolt-strike); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (vacasaḥ)

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्; कर्मपदम् (object of 'heard')

Speaker

Parāvasu (continuing; narrative transition to Viśvāvasu’s reaction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial figure (Viśvāvasu) receives a command about immediate bodily purification; the words strike like a thunderbolt, freezing the moment in shock and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāvasu
• Parāvasu
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma can demand hard remedies; the resolve for self-purification can shock loved ones yet remains framed as righteous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is referenced in this half-verse; it functions as narrative linkage within the tīrtha-mahātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Immediate undertaking of the instructed purification (prāyaścitta) is implied (“this very day”).