Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

कूपे स्नानं नरः कृत्वा संतर्प्य च पितॄन्निजान् । पूजयेद्बर्करेशं यः सर्पपापैः स मुच्यते

Transliteration

kūpe snānaṃ naraḥ kṛtvā saṃtarpya ca pitṝnnijān | pūjayedbarkareśaṃ yaḥ sarpapāpaiḥ sa mucyate

Translation

مَنِ اغتسلَ في البئرِ وأرضى آباءَه الأسلافَ (الپِتْرِ) بالقرابين، ثم عبدَ باركارِيشا (Barkareśa)، تحرّرَ من الآثامِ المتعلّقةِ بالحيّات.

Word by Word

• कूपे: in a well
• कूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — having done

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied (fed/propitiated)
• संतर्प्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु) उपसर्ग: सम्
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), causative sense in context ‘to satisfy’ — having satisfied

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

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• निजान्: one’s own
• निजान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — agrees with पितॄन्

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — ‘should worship’

• बर्करेशम्: Barkareśa (Lord of Barkara)
• बर्करेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्कर-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बर्करस्य ईशः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — relative pronoun

• सर्पपापैः: from sins related to serpents
• सर्पपापैः: Hetu/Instrument (Cause/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प-पाप (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्पस्य पापानि)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — demonstrative pronoun

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive) — ‘is released’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahītīrtha (kūpa-snānayukta)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim descends into a stone-lined well at Mahītīrtha, then offers water-libations to ancestors, and finally worships the Barkareśa Śiva-liṅga with bilva leaves; nāga imagery appears as a subdued motif signifying sarpa-pāpa being dissolved.

Characters & Entities

• Barkareśa
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by dharma: purifying bath, honoring ancestors, and devotion to Śiva together remove deep-seated faults.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred well (kūpa) within/near the Barkareśa tīrtha setting, tied to Barkareśa worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kūpa-snāna (bathing in the well), pitṛ-tarpaṇa (ancestral satisfaction offerings), and Barkareśa pūjā.