Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तपश्चकार सुमहत्तस्मिंस्तीर्थवरे तदा । कुशस्तम्बेन कृतवांस्तत्सरो विपुलं विभुः

Transliteration

tapaścakāra sumahattasmiṃstīrthavare tadā | kuśastambena kṛtavāṃstatsaro vipulaṃ vibhuḥ

Translation

তখন সেই শ্রেষ্ঠ তীর্থে তিনি অতি মহান তপস্যা করলেন; আর সেই পরাক্রমী মহাত্মা কুশ-স্তম্ভ দ্বারা সেখানে এক বিশাল সরোবর নির্মাণ করলেন।

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• चकार: did, performed
• चकार: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (तपः इति विशेष्यस्य)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• तीर्थवरे: in the excellent tīrtha
• तीर्थवरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (वरं तीर्थम्)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• कुशस्तम्बेन: with a clump/bundle of kuśa grass
• कुशस्तम्बेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश + स्तम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कुशानां स्तम्बः)

• कृतवान्: having made, made
• कृतवान्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (सरः इति)

• सरः: lake, pond
• सरः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• विपुलम्: vast, large
• विपुलम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; विशेषण (सरः इति)

• विभुः: the mighty one, lord
• विभुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvāmitreśvara-saras / associated tīrtha (implied)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At an excellent tīrtha, the powerful sage performs intense austerities; with a clump of kuśa grass he causes a broad lake to appear, waters spreading across the earth as devas marvel.

Characters & Entities

• kuśa
• saras
• tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas sanctifies geography; through austerity and ritual means, sacred spaces (like lakes and shrines) arise for the welfare of future pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha of Adhyāya 44 where a large saras (lake) is formed and later associated with Viśvāmitreśvara worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is highlighted; the use of kuśa (ritually pure grass) indicates sanctified ritual action in creating/marking the tīrtha.