Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 150

Devanagari script

बहूदकस्य तीरे च यः कुर्य्याज्जपसाधनम् । सर्वं लक्षगुणं प्रोक्तं जपो होमश्च पूजनम्

Transliteration

bahūdakasya tīre ca yaḥ kuryyājjapasādhanam | sarvaṃ lakṣaguṇaṃ proktaṃ japo homaśca pūjanam

Translation

Und wer am Ufer der Bahūdakā die Übung des Japa aufnimmt—Japa, Homa und Pūjā, die dort vollzogen werden, sind als Verdienst verkündet, das sich hunderttausendfach vermehrt.

Word by Word

• बहूदकस्य: of Bahūdaka (place/name)
• बहूदकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहूदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—बहु + उदक (कर्मधारय)

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जपसाधनम्: means/practice of japa
• जपसाधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—जपस्य साधनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सर्वम्: all; entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• लक्षगुणम्: multiplied by a lakh; one-hundred-thousandfold
• लक्षगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्ष + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—लक्षेण गुणितम्/लक्षगुणम् (तत्पुरुष)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थक (said/declared)

• जपः: japa (repetition)
• जपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• होमः: homa (fire-offering)
• होमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पूजनम्: worship
• पूजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahūdaka

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet riverbank shrine at Bahūdaka: a sādhaka seated on kuśa grass with japa-mālā; a small homa-kuṇḍa with gentle flames; a liṅga or Śiva–Umā icon under a tree; offerings of bilva, flowers, and water; dawn light reflecting on the river.

Characters & Entities

• Bahūdaka
• Japa
• Homa
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual disciplines become extraordinarily potent when performed in a consecrated sacred landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bahūdaka tīra (the bank of Bahūdaka).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa-sādhana, along with homa and pūjā, with the claim of lakṣaguṇa (100,000×) merit.