Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

एवं सा तत्र संजाता गर्ता ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः । यथा तस्यां विपाप्माभूत्सौ दासस्तद्वदाम्यहम्

Transliteration

evaṃ sā tatra saṃjātā gartā brāhmaṇasattamāḥ | yathā tasyāṃ vipāpmābhūtsau dāsastadvadāmyaham

Translation

So entstand dort jene Grube, o vortrefflichste der Brahmanen. Nun will ich darlegen, wie Saudāsa eben an diesem Ort von Sünde frei wurde.

Word by Word

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

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संजाता: arisen, formed
• संजाता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (सा/गर्ता)

• गर्ता: the pit
• गर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः: O best of brahmins
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense in context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सत्तमाः ब्राह्मणाः)

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• तस्याम्: in that (pit)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विपाप्मा: free from sin
• विपाप्मा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (दासः)

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उ: indeed
• उ: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• दासः: the servant (named Dāsa)
• दासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वदामि: I say
• वदामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Foremost brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta, seated among sages, gestures toward the sacred pit as he begins the tale of Saudāsa’s release from sin; the garta is shown as a calm, sanctified depression with a faint Śaiva aura.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Saudāsa
• Brāhmaṇas
• Gartā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-māhātmya links place and purification: a sanctified locus becomes a means for moral restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The gartā (pit) formed at that location, presented as the setting where Saudāsa attains purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not specified here; the verse transitions into the account that will explain the purification process.