Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य मार्कंडस्य महामुनेः । श्रुतं प्रवदतो वाक्यं ब्रह्मकुण्डसमुद्भवम्

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya mārkaṃḍasya mahāmuneḥ | śrutaṃ pravadato vākyaṃ brahmakuṇḍasamudbhavam

Translation

At a certain time, the words spoken by the great sage Mārkaṇḍa were heard—words that had arisen in connection with Brahmakuṇḍa.

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of some
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुं; एकवचनम्; षष्ठी (Genitive, singular) — ‘of some’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (sequencing particle)

• कालस्य: of time; at a certain time
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; षष्ठी (Genitive, singular)

• मार्कण्डस्य: of Mārkaṇḍa
• मार्कण्डस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; षष्ठी (Genitive, singular)

• महामुनेः: of the great sage
• महामुनेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; षष्ठी (Genitive, singular); समासः—महान् मुनिः इति कर्मधारयः

• श्रुतम्: was heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तम् (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. sg) — here impersonal passive sense ‘was heard’

• प्रवदतः: of (him) speaking; while he was speaking
• प्रवदतः: Karta (Agent in genitive with participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वद् (धातु) → प्रवदत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; षष्ठी (Genitive, singular) — ‘of (him) speaking’

• वाक्यम्: speech; statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (Accusative, singular)

• ब्रह्मकुण्डसमुद्भवम्: originating from Brahma-kuṇḍa
• ब्रह्मकुण्डसमुद्भवम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मकुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक; समास) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (Accusative, singular); समासः—ब्रह्मकुण्डात् समुद्भवम् इति तत्पुरुषः (अपादान-सम्बन्ध)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta continuing the māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmakuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya seated near a sacred pond (Brahmakuṇḍa), speaking; pilgrims gather in attentive semicircle; the water glows as if the words arise from it.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍa
• Brahmakuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge about a tīrtha is transmitted through realized sages; hearing such māhātmya is itself auspicious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmakuṇḍa, presented within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it introduces Mārkaṇḍa’s discourse connected to Brahmakuṇḍa.