Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तेषां समीपे यो देशो ह्रदानां रुधिराम्भसाम् । समं तपं चक्रमिति पुण्यं तत्परिकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

teṣāṃ samīpe yo deśo hradānāṃ rudhirāmbhasām | samaṃ tapaṃ cakramiti puṇyaṃ tatparikīrtitam

Translation

Die Gegend nahe jenen Seen, deren Wasser Blut war, wird als heilig verkündet; denn dort vollzog er eine ausgeglichene Askese, weshalb sie als „Samaṃ Tapaḥ Cakram“ gerühmt wird.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• समीपे: near
• समीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• यः: which
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• देशः: place
• देशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• ह्रदानाम्: of lakes
• ह्रदानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचन

• रुधिराम्भसाम्: of blood-water (bloody waters)
• रुधिराम्भसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुधिर + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अम्भस्-आश्रय); षष्ठी; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• समम्: equally
• समम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as adverb: equally)

• तपम्: austerity
• तपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• चक्रम्: wheel/discus
• चक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (here: predicate adjective)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परिकीर्तितम्: is proclaimed
• परिकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (is proclaimed)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Samaṃ Tapaḥ Cakram

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring-like sacred zone (‘cakra’) near several lakes whose waters appear crimson; an ascetic performs steady, balanced tapas at the center, radiating calm that ‘equalizes’ the ominous scene.

Characters & Entities

• Samantapañcaka (implied)
• Rudhira-hradas
• Samaṃ Tapaḥ Cakram (toponym/epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A place becomes ‘puṇya’ when intense tapas and transformative events are associated with it; sacred geography preserves moral memory and spiritual potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred region near the rudhira-hradas at Samantapañcaka, specifically renowned as ‘Samaṃ Tapaḥ Cakram.’

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is referenced as having been performed there, implying the site’s suitability for ascetic practice and merit-making.