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

Wer im Brunnen badet und durch Opfergaben seine eigenen Pitṛs, die Ahnen, sättigt, und Barkareśa verehrt, wird von den mit Schlangen verbundenen Sünden befreit.

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.