Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

जललिङ्गं महापुण्यं चकतीर्थं नृपोत्तम । शूलभेदे च देवेशः स्नानं कुर्याद्यथाविधि

Transliteration

jalaliṅgaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ cakatīrthaṃ nṛpottama | śūlabhede ca deveśaḥ snānaṃ kuryādyathāvidhi

Translation

O best of kings, the Water-Liṅga is of great merit—this is Cakatīrtha. And at Śūlabheda one should worship the Lord of the gods and bathe according to the prescribed rite.

Word by Word

• जललिङ्गम्: the water-liṅga (Jalaliṅga)
• जललिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य लिङ्गम्)

• महापुण्यम्: very meritorious
• महापुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् पुण्यम्)

• चकतीर्थम्: the Caka-tīrtha
• चकतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चकस्य तीर्थम्)

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणाम् उत्तमः)

• शूलभेदे: at Śūlabheda (place)
• शूलभेदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शूलस्य भेदः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• देवेशः: the Lord of gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशः)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘as/according to’)

• विधि: the prescribed rule
• विधि: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘यथाविधि’ इति अव्ययीभावार्थे प्रयोगः (according to rule)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakatīrtha (Jala-liṅga) and Śūlabheda

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A river-ford on Revā where a luminous water-formed liṅga rises from rippling currents; nearby a marked spot called Śūlabheda with a trident emblem, devotees offering bilva and water, then entering the river for ritual bath.

Characters & Entities

• Jalaliṅga
• Cakatīrtha
• Śūlabheda
• Deveśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters and Śiva-worship converge: tīrtha-snān performed with vidhi becomes a direct means to puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakatīrtha (identified with the Jalaliṅga) and Śūlabheda in the Revā Khaṇḍa landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Śūlabheda ‘yathāvidhi’ (according to proper procedure), along with reverence to Deveśa (Śiva).