Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

विमुक्तश्च कथं भूयो भ्रूणगर्तामुपाश्रितः । सापि गर्ता कथं जाता सर्वं नो वद विस्तरात्

Transliteration

vimuktaśca kathaṃ bhūyo bhrūṇagartāmupāśritaḥ | sāpi gartā kathaṃ jātā sarvaṃ no vada vistarāt

Translation

Und nachdem er befreit worden war: Wie nahm er erneut Zuflucht in der ‘Bhrūṇa-gartā’ (der Grube, die mit der Sünde der Embryonentötung verbunden ist)? Und wie ist diese Grube entstanden? Sage uns alles ausführlich.

Word by Word

• विमुक्तः: freed
• विमुक्तः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• भूयः: again/further
• भूयः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्ययभाव/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'again/further')

• भ्रूणगर्ताम्: Bhrūṇagartā (tīrtha)
• भ्रूणगर्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रूणगर्ता (प्रातिपदिक: भ्रूण + गर्ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• उपाश्रितः: having resorted to
• उपाश्रितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + आ + श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (आश्रितः = resorted to)

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• गर्ता: the pit/cleft
• गर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• जाता: came into being/arose
• जाता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (उत्पन्ना)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नः: to us/for us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-रूप (Genitive/Dative enclitic), बहुवचनार्थ; अत्र चतुर्थ्यर्थे (to us)

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (ablatival adverb): 'in detail/at length'

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhrūṇa-gartā

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages press Sūta to narrate in full: how Saudāsa, even after release, again sought the Bhrūṇa-gartā, and how the pit itself originated—setting the stage for a dramatic origin legend.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Bhrūṇagartā
• Saudāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthas are tied to moral history: understanding the origin-story deepens repentance and faith in purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhrūṇagartā is explicitly named as a significant location whose origin and power are about to be narrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the request for “detail” signals an upcoming māhātmya account that typically supports snāna, dāna, and prayāścitta.