Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

क्षीरकुण्डं तु तत्रैव महापातकनाशनम् । दर्शनात्स्पर्शनाद्ध्यानात्कीर्तनाच्चापि मोक्षदम्

Transliteration

kṣīrakuṇḍaṃ tu tatraiva mahāpātakanāśanam | darśanātsparśanāddhyānātkīrtanāccāpi mokṣadam

Translation

Dort selbst befindet sich der heilige Kṣīrakuṇḍa, der selbst die schwersten Sünden vernichtet. Schon durch Anblick, Berührung, Meditation oder auch durch lobpreisendes Verkünden schenkt er Mokṣa, die Befreiung.

Word by Word

• क्षीरकुण्डम्: the Milk-pond (Kṣīrakuṇḍa)
• क्षीरकुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीरकुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्षीरस्य कुण्डम्)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (महापातकानां नाशनम्)

• दर्शनात्: from seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (ablative of cause)

• स्पर्शनात्: from touching
• स्पर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे

• ध्यानात्: from meditating
• ध्यानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे

• कीर्तनात्: from praising/reciting
• कीर्तनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे

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

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-निपात (also/even)

• मोक्षदम्: granting liberation
• मोक्षदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष-द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मोक्षं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Narrator of the Setukhaṇḍa (deduced: Skanda speaking within Setu Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīrakuṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-s (addressed as 'dvijottamāḥ' in the surrounding passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sacred pond (kuṇḍa) near the sea; pilgrims approach with folded hands; the water appears milk-white (kṣīra-like), with lotuses and a subtle aura suggesting sin-destruction and liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣīrakuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even minimal contact—seeing, touching, remembering, or praising a holy tīrtha—can purify grave sin and orient the devotee toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṣīrakuṇḍa, a sacred pool/tīrtha celebrated in the Setukhaṇḍa (Setu Māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is mandated; the verse highlights four meritorious approaches: darśana (seeing), sparśa (touching), dhyāna (meditating), and kīrtana (glorifying/reciting).