Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा विरूपाक्षश्चक्रे कुंडं ततः परम् । शुद्धस्फटिकसंकाशं सुस्वादुक्षीरवत्प्रियम्

Transliteration

evamuktvā virūpākṣaścakre kuṃḍaṃ tataḥ param | śuddhasphaṭikasaṃkāśaṃ susvādukṣīravatpriyam

Translation

Nachdem Virūpākṣa (Śiva) so gesprochen hatte, schuf er daraufhin eine Kuṇḍa, ein heiliges Wasserbecken. Es leuchtete wie reiner Kristall, und sein Wasser war lieblich—im Geschmack süß wie Milch.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘उक्त्वा’ = having said

• विरूपाक्षः: Virūpākṣa (the one with unusual eyes)
• विरूपाक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूप-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य सः’

• चक्रे: made; created
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कुण्डम्: a pond/pit (kuṇḍa)
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/अपादानार्थक (then; from there)

• परम्: excellent; supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘कुण्डम्’

• शुद्धस्फटिकसंकाशम्: resembling pure crystal
• शुद्धस्फटिकसंकाशम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध-स्फटिक-संकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘कुण्डम्’; ‘शुद्धस्य स्फटिकस्य संकाशम्’ (like pure crystal)

• सुस्वादुक्षीरवत्प्रियम्: pleasant, like delicious milk
• सुस्वादुक्षीरवत्प्रियम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-स्वादु-क्षीर-वत्-प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘कुण्डम्’; ‘सुस्वादु क्षीरवत् प्रियम्’ (dear/pleasant like sweet milk)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya; Śiva is the acting deity in the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virūpākṣa-kunda

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Virūpākṣa) completes the creation of a kunda; the water gleams like flawless crystal, with a gentle milky sheen suggesting sweetness and auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Virūpākṣa (Śiva)
• Kuṇḍa (sacred pond)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not merely geography; it is sanctified by divine presence, and its purity symbolizes inner purification for the pilgrim.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Śaiva kuṇḍa associated with Virūpākṣa/Śiva, later connected in this adhyāya with Kedāra (Kedāra-tīrtha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse establishes the tīrtha’s extraordinary purity and sweetness, preparing for later ritual instructions.