Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

वापीकृपतडागैश्च देवतायतनैर्युतम् । हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णं पद्मिनीखण्डमण्डितम्

Transliteration

vāpīkṛpataḍāgaiśca devatāyatanairyutam | haṃsakāraṇḍavākīrṇaṃ padminīkhaṇḍamaṇḍitam

Translation

Elle était embellie de puits, d’étangs et de bassins, et accompagnée de temples et de sanctuaires. Elle regorgeait de cygnes et d’oiseaux kāraṇḍava, et se parait de vastes bosquets de lotus.

Word by Word

• वापी: with wells/ponds
• वापी: Karaṇa (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन (वापीभिः इत्यर्थे; -ैः रूपेण)

• कृप: with wells (kūpa-type)
• कृप: Karaṇa (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन (कृपाभिः इत्यर्थे; -ैः)

• तडागैः: with tanks/lakes
• तडागैः: Karaṇa (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• देवतā: deity
• देवतā: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• आयतनैः: with shrines/temples
• आयतनैः: Karaṇa (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• युतम्: joined with, furnished with
• युतम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यु (धातु) / युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त/निष्पन्नविशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (देवता-आयतनैः) सह युतम् = ‘endowed with’

• हंस: swan
• हंस: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• कारण्डव: duck (kāraṇḍava)
• कारण्डव: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• आकीर्णम्: filled with swans and ducks
• आकीर्णम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-कीर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (हंस-कारण्डव)-द्वन्द्व + आकीर्ण; विशेषण

• पद्मिनी: lotus-pond
• पद्मिनी: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• खण्ड: section, cluster
• खण्ड: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• मण्डितम्: adorned with clusters of lotus-ponds
• मण्डितम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मण्ड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पद्मिनी-खण्ड-मण्डित) तत्पुरुषसमासः; विशेषण

Speaker

Unnamed narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāpi–Kūpa–Taḍāga complex of Bāṇapura (descriptive)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple-lined tank with lotus patches; swans and kāraṇḍava birds glide on the water; steps and small shrines ring the ponds; greenery frames the scene in cool light.

Characters & Entities

• Bāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer signs of culture—waterworks, temples, and beauty—do not alone define sanctity; true holiness rests on dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single Revā tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes the inner features of Bāṇa’s city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; there is no instruction on snāna, dāna, or japa here.