Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

आदिमस्य तु तीर्थस्य चक्रतीर्थमिति प्रथा । कथं समागता सूत वदास्माकं हि पृच्छताम्

Transliteration

ādimasya tu tīrthasya cakratīrthamiti prathā | kathaṃ samāgatā sūta vadāsmākaṃ hi pṛcchatām

Translation

En cuanto al primer tīrtha, es célebre con el nombre de «Cakratīrtha». ¿Cómo surgió esa denominación, oh Sūta? Dínoslo, pues preguntamos.

Word by Word

• आदिमस्य: of the first
• आदिमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of तीर्थस्य

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अनुवाद (but/indeed)

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

• चक्रतीर्थम्: Cakra-tīrtha
• चक्रतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd; Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus; called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

• प्रथा: is the tradition/name
• प्रथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• समागता: came about/arrived
• समागता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोग (arrived/come about)

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वद: tell/say
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्माकम्: to us / of us
• अस्माकम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), कारण/निश्चय (indeed/for)

• पृच्छताम्: of (those) asking
• पृच्छताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘of (us) asking’

Speaker

Ṛṣis (addressing Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages ask Sūta about the first tīrtha called Cakratīrtha; a symbolic Sudarśana cakra appears above waters or carved on a stone by the shore, indicating the name’s source.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Cakratīrtha
• Setu (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred names preserve sacred memory; understanding a tīrtha’s name deepens reverence and right orientation in pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakratīrtha, identified as the first among the principal Setu tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse requests the kathā (origin narrative) behind the tīrtha’s name.