Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

स्वच्छोदकेन संपूर्णं पद्मिनीषंडमंडितम् । ततश्चांद्रायणं चक्रे तपसः प्रथमं व्रतम्

Transliteration

svacchodakena saṃpūrṇaṃ padminīṣaṃḍamaṃḍitam | tataścāṃdrāyaṇaṃ cakre tapasaḥ prathamaṃ vratam

Translation

وہ آب گاہ شفاف پانی سے لبریز تھی اور کنول کے جھنڈوں سے آراستہ۔ وہاں اس نے تپسیا کا پہلا ورت، یعنی چاندْرایَن، ادا کیا۔

Word by Word

• svaccha-udakena: with clear water
• svaccha-udakena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svaccha + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः ‘स्वच्छं उदकम्’

• saṃpūrṇam: filled/complete
• saṃpūrṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃpūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक; sam-√pṝ धातु)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• padminī-ṣaṇḍa-maṇḍitam: adorned with clusters of lotus-plants
• padminī-ṣaṇḍa-maṇḍitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: padminī + ṣaṇḍa + maṇḍita (प्रातिपदिक; √maṇḍ धातु)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘पद्मिनीनां षण्डेन मण्डितम्’

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘thereafter’

• cāṃdrāyaṇam: the Cāndrāyaṇa vow
• cāṃdrāyaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāṃdrāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• cakre: performed/did
• cakre: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tapasaḥ: of austerity
• tapasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• prathamam: first
• prathamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• vratam: vow
• vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration from the prior verse context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pristine lotus-pond under gentle light; the brāhmaṇī begins Cāndrāyaṇa with composed posture—perhaps seated on kuśa grass near the water, with a small pūjā setup.

Characters & Entities

• Cāndrāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha-like setting supports disciplined austerity; the narrative highlights beginning tapas with a structured vow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A clear-water lotus pond is described; the verse emphasizes its sacred suitability though it does not provide a proper name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cāndrāyaṇa vrata—fasting regulated according to the waxing and waning of the moon.