Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

शूलभेदं कथं जातं केनैवोत्पादितं पुरा । माहात्म्यं तस्य तीर्थस्य विस्तराच्छंस मे प्रभो

Transliteration

śūlabhedaṃ kathaṃ jātaṃ kenaivotpāditaṃ purā | māhātmyaṃ tasya tīrthasya vistarācchaṃsa me prabho

Translation

How did Śūlabheda arise, and by whom was it brought into being in ancient times? O Lord, please describe in detail the greatness of that sacred ford (tīrtha) to me.

Word by Word

• शूलभेदम्: the splitting/piercing by the trident
• शूलभेदम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलभेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शूल + भेद)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• जातम्: happened/arose
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• केन: by whom/with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

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

• उत्पादितम्: was produced/caused
• उत्पादितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + पद्/पाद् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तीर्थस्य: of the pilgrimage place
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘विस्तरेण’ (in detail)

• शंस: tell/declare
• शंस: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th Gen/Dat), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (a listener/devotee addressing Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king points to or invokes the name Śūlabheda, asking how it came to be; Śiva poised to narrate, with the trident motif subtly foregrounded.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlabheda
• Tīrtha
• Īśvara (Śiva implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A devotee should seek the origin and sacred glory (māhātmya) of tīrthas with humility, because knowing a place’s divine story strengthens faith and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda-tīrtha, introduced as a sacred ford whose origin and greatness will be explained in the Revā-khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly in this verse; it is a request for the tīrtha’s māhātmya, which typically leads to guidance on snāna, worship, and vows in subsequent verses.