Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । एतत्तव जलं वह्ने स्वेदजं सर्वदैव तु । स्थिरं भवतु चात्रैव विशुद्ध्यर्थं द्विजन्मनाम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | etattava jalaṃ vahne svedajaṃ sarvadaiva tu | sthiraṃ bhavatu cātraiva viśuddhyarthaṃ dvijanmanām

Translation

Các Bà-la-môn thưa rằng: “Ôi Thần Lửa, xin cho dòng nước của Ngài—sinh từ mồ hôi của Ngài—được an lập tại đây mãi mãi, để thanh tịnh cho những người ‘hai lần sinh’.”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वह्ने: O Fire (Agni)
• वह्ने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वेदजम्: born of sweat
• स्वेदजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sveda + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (svedāt jātaṃ = born from sweat)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (contrastive/conjunctive particle)

• स्थिरम्: steady, firm
• स्थिरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवतु: let it be
• भवतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Nipata (Conjunction/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphasis)

• विशुद्धि-अर्थम्: for purification
• विशुद्धि-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśuddhi + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (viśuddhyai arthaḥ = for the sake of purification)

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-समासार्थ (dvija = twice-born)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (assembly of dvijas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agni-sveda-jala tīrtha (Camatkārapura sambandha)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agni (Vahni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas, hands folded, address Agni; beside them a shimmering pool/stream appears as ‘Agni’s sweat-water’, glowing with heat-haze and golden light, signifying permanent sanctification.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Brāhmaṇas (dvijanman)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is created through divine presence; a tīrtha becomes a permanent means of purification for those who uphold dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha where “Agni’s water” is established as a lasting purifier; the passage functions as the origin-story (utpatti) of that sacred water.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The request to keep the water permanently at the site for purification—implying regular snāna for dvijas.