Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्रैवास्ति जयानाम पार्वत्याः किंकरी द्विजाः । तया तत्र कृतं कुण्डं गौरीकुण्डसमीपतः

Transliteration

tatraivāsti jayānāma pārvatyāḥ kiṃkarī dvijāḥ | tayā tatra kṛtaṃ kuṇḍaṃ gaurīkuṇḍasamīpataḥ

Translation

Dort selbst gibt es eine Dienerin namens Jayā, eine Gefährtin und Magd Pārvatīs—o ihr Zweimalgeborenen. Durch sie wurde dort ein heiliger Teich angelegt, nahe beim Gaurī-kuṇḍa.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• jayā: Jayā
• jayā: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: jayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग, नामधेय-सूचक (name-indicator)

• pārvatyāḥ: of Pārvatī
• pārvatyāḥ: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• kiṃkarī: maidservant
• kiṃkarī: Karta (Appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃkarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; जयाया विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन (apposition)

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• dvijāḥ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन; संबोधन

• tayā: by her
• tayā: Karana (Agent/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक; तद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ (agent in passive)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक

• kṛtam: made
• kṛtam: Kriya (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (made)

• kuṇḍam: pond
• kuṇḍam: Karta (Subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (of passive: ‘kuṇḍam kṛtam’)

• gaurīkuṇḍasamīpataḥ: near the Gaurī-kuṇḍa
• gaurīkuṇḍasamīpataḥ: Adhikarana (Proximity/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: gaurī-kuṇḍa-samīpa (प्रातिपदिक; गौरी + कुण्ड + समीप)
• Form: पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययीभाव/तद्धित-प्रयोगवत् ‘-तः’ (ablatival adverb): ‘समīपतः’ = from/near; समासाधारित अव्यय

Speaker

Sūta (implied continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jayā-kṛta-kuṇḍa (near Gaurī-kuṇḍa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāḥ (Brahmin sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jayā, depicted as a celestial handmaid of Pārvatī, fashions a pond near Gaurī-kuṇḍa—either by striking the earth with a vessel or invoking waters; Pārvatī’s presence is implied by aura/attendants; Brahmin sages observe as the kuṇḍa fills with clear water and lotuses.

Characters & Entities

• Jayā
• Pārvatī
• Gaurī-kuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are often linked to divine attendants as well as deities, showing that service (sevā) also sanctifies geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A kuṇḍa created by Jayā, situated near Gaurī-kuṇḍa within the Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not directly here; the verse identifies the tīrtha’s origin and location, with bathing merits stated next.