Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

विदलिते भूमिभागे तत्र कुंडं समुद्बभौ । द्वितीयं तु पुनः कुंडं पश्चार्धचरणोद्भवम्

Transliteration

vidalite bhūmibhāge tatra kuṃḍaṃ samudbabhau | dvitīyaṃ tu punaḥ kuṃḍaṃ paścārdhacaraṇodbhavam

Translation

Quand cette portion de la terre se fendit, un bassin sacré (kuṇḍa) y surgit. Et de nouveau apparut un second kuṇḍa, né de la moitié arrière du pied/sabot.

Word by Word

• विदलिते: in (the) split/opened
• विदलिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + दल् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; भूमिभागे-विशेषण

• भूमिभागे: in a portion of the ground
• भूमिभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमिभाग (प्रातिपदिक; भूमि + भाग)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• कुण्डम्: a pond/pit (kuṇḍa)
• कुण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ

• समुद्बभौ: arose, came forth
• समुद्बभौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्वितीयम्: second
• द्वितीयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कुण्डम्-विशेषण

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Avyaya (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

• कुण्डम्: a pond/pit
• कुण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ (elliptic: ‘समुद्बभौ’ understood)

• पश्चात्: behind, posterior
• पश्चात्: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (behind/after)

• अर्ध: half
• अर्ध: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• चरण: foot/step
• चरण: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• उद्भवम्: arisen from the posterior half-foot
• उद्भवम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + भू (धातु) + अप्/अ (प्रातिपदिक: उद्भव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कुण्डम्-विशेषण; समासः: पश्चात्-अर्ध-चरण-उद्भव (पश्चार्धचरणोद्भव)

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta narrating to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Twin Kuṇḍas of Dharmāraṇya (Aśvinī-kuṇḍa pair)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ground cracks open in the forest clearing; a first kuṇḍa forms, then a second appears, associated with the back half of the hoof—two shimmering pools like twin mirrors of the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Kuṇḍa (sacred pool)
• Aśvinau (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are portrayed as divinely instituted: sacred waters emerge to offer purification and merit to beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Two kuṇḍas in Dharmāraṇya are introduced as newly manifested sacred pools.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here, but kuṇḍas typically imply snāna (ritual bathing) and tīrtha-sevā in subsequent verses.