Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तथा मे मूर्धजाः कृष्णास्तत्र स्नातस्य तत्क्षणात् । परं शुक्लत्वमापन्ना एतत्प्रोक्तं मया स्फुटम्

Transliteration

tathā me mūrdhajāḥ kṛṣṇāstatra snātasya tatkṣaṇāt | paraṃ śuklatvamāpannā etatproktaṃ mayā sphuṭam

Translation

اسی طرح میرے سر کے بال—اگرچہ سیاہ تھے—وہاں غسل کرتے ہی اسی لمحے بالکل سفید ہو گئے۔ یہ بات میں نے تم سے صاف صاف کہہ دی ہے۔

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise, thus
• तथा: Prakaraṇa (Manner adverbial/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचन (Singular) (enclitic)

• मूर्धजाः: hairs (lit. born on the head)
• मूर्धजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कृष्णाः: black
• कृष्णाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (locative adverb)

• स्नातस्य: of (one) who has bathed
• स्नातस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘स्नात’; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्-क्षणात्: immediately
• तत्-क्षणात्: Kala-adhikarana (Time adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययप्रयोगः (time adverbial)

• परम्: completely, exceedingly
• परम्: Prakaraṇa (Degree adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (adverb) ‘exceedingly/entirely’

• शुक्लत्वम्: whiteness
• शुक्लत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्लत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• आपन्नाः: attained, became
• आपन्नाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘आपन्न’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural); (अर्थे) ‘attained/became’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोक्तम्: said, declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘प्रोक्त’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्फुटम्: clearly
• स्फुटम्: Prakaraṇa (Manner adverbial/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (adverb)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (a teller describing the tīrtha’s miracle to brāhmaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (plural)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator points to his own head as proof: black hair has turned white after bathing; listeners lean in, astonished; the water behind glows with sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (implied audience)
• Śuklatīrtha (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity can manifest immediate, visible transformation, underscoring faith in sacred geography and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha, a place famed for causing ‘whitening’ (śuklatva) by the power of its waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha, presented as producing instant effect.