Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

पुष्करादधिकं तीर्थं ब्रह्मेशंनाम फाल्गुन । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो भक्त्या पिण्डदानं समाचरेत्

Transliteration

puṣkarādadhikaṃ tīrthaṃ brahmeśaṃnāma phālguna | tatra snātvā naro bhaktyā piṇḍadānaṃ samācaret

Translation

O Phālguna, die Tīrtha namens Brahmeśa ist sogar erhabener als Puṣkara. Nachdem man dort in Hingabe gebadet hat, soll man ordnungsgemäß Piṇḍa-Opfergaben für die Ahnen darbringen.

Word by Word

• पुष्करात्: than Puṣkara
• पुष्करात्: Apadana (Standard of comparison/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular

• अधिकम्: greater/superior
• अधिकम्: Predicate qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; comparative sense with ablative ‘पुष्करात्’

• तीर्थम्: a pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here nominative singular (topic)

• ब्रह्मेशंनाम: named ‘Brahmeśa’
• ब्रह्मेशंनाम: Apposition (नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मेश (प्रातिपदिक) + नाम (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: ‘ब्रह्मेशम्’ नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन (नाम-निर्देश); ‘नाम’ अव्यय-निपात (नामधेय-सूचक)

• फाल्गुन: O Phālguna (Arjuna)
• फाल्गुन: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-रूपेण कृदन्तम्; क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• पिण्डदानम्: offering of piṇḍas (funeral oblation)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पिण्डस्य दानम्); Accusative singular

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Optative 3rd sg.

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmeśa-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathes at Brahmeśa-tīrtha with devotion and then performs piṇḍadāna on the bank; the text proclaims the tīrtha superior to Puṣkara.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Phālguna (addressed)
• Brahmeśa Tīrtha
• Puṣkara
• Pitṛs (ancestors, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is fulfilled through devotion and dharmic duty—bathing at a tīrtha should be joined with care for the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmeśa Tīrtha, explicitly said to surpass Puṣkara in merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing) at the tīrtha and piṇḍa-dāna (ancestral offerings) performed with devotion.