Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। सूत उवाच । तत्रैवास्ति महापुण्यो ह्रदतीरे व्यवस्थितः । कलशेश्वर इत्याख्यः सर्वपापप्रणाशनः

Transliteration

| sūta uvāca | tatraivāsti mahāpuṇyo hradatīre vyavasthitaḥ | kalaśeśvara ityākhyaḥ sarvapāpapraṇāśanaḥ

Translation

Sūta sprach: „Dort selbst, am Ufer des Sees, steht ein überaus verdienstvolles Heiligtum (Śivas), genannt Kalaśeśvara, der Vernichter aller Sünden.“

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• महापुण्यः: very meritorious
• महापुण्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• ह्रदतीरे: on the bank of the lake
• ह्रदतीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (hradasya tīre)

• व्यवस्थितः: situated/standing
• व्यवस्थितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कलशेश्वरः: Kalaśeśvara (name of Śiva)
• कलशेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kalasya īśvaraḥ / kalaśasya īśvaraḥ)

• इति: thus/as
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• आख्यः: named/called
• आख्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) अर्थे ‘नाम्ना प्रसिद्धः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वपापप्रणाशनः: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपापप्रणाशनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रणाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पापानां प्रणाशनः) विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalaśeśvara

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred lake with lotus blooms; on its bank stands a small but radiant Śiva shrine labeled ‘Kalaśeśvara’, pilgrims approaching with folded hands; the atmosphere suggests immediate purification.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Kalaśeśvara (Śiva)
• Hrada (lake)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is salvific: a Śiva presence at a tīrtha-bank is celebrated as a direct means for purification and renewal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kalaśeśvara, a Śiva shrine situated on the bank of a lake (hrada-tīra) within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, visiting and venerating (darśana/worship) Kalaśeśvara at the lake-bank is recommended for purification.