Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

दक्षिणांभोनिधेस्तीरे गन्धमादनपर्वते । सर्वप्राण्युपकाराय कृतं तीर्थं मया शुभम्

Transliteration

dakṣiṇāṃbhonidhestīre gandhamādanaparvate | sarvaprāṇyupakārāya kṛtaṃ tīrthaṃ mayā śubham

Translation

Sur la rive de l’océan du Sud, sur le mont Gandhamādana, j’ai établi un tīrtha de bon augure pour le bien de tous les êtres.

Word by Word

• दक्षिण: southern
• दक्षिण: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (locative qualifier)

• अम्भोनिधेः: of the ocean
• अम्भोनिधेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भोनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• तीरे: on the shore
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• गन्धमादन: (at) Gandhamādana
• गन्धमादन: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण पर्वते उपपदम्

• पर्वते: on the mountain
• पर्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• सर्व: of all
• सर्व: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• प्राणि: living beings
• प्राणि: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• उपकाराय: for the benefit
• उपकाराय: Sampradana (Beneficiary/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• कृतम्: made/constructed
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘made’

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृवाच्ये विधेयपदम् (predicate nominative)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तीर्थम्)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva-tīrtha (established at Gandhamādana by the southern ocean)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhairava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra establishes an auspicious tīrtha on a mountain by the southern ocean; the landscape shows sea-waves, a sacred hill, and a newly sanctified spot marked by liṅga/śaiva emblems.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Bhairava
• Dakṣiṇāmbhonidhi (southern ocean)
• Gandhamādana
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are portrayed as divine provisions created for the upliftment of all beings, not merely individual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Śiva-established tīrtha located on Mount Gandhamādana by the southern ocean (named explicitly as a place-setting).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied pilgrimage to the tīrtha; the explicit act (entry/benefit) is stated in the following verses.