Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स तत्र कल्पयामास स्नानार्थं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । शंखेन निर्मितं तीर्थं शंखतीर्थमितीर्यते

Transliteration

sa tatra kalpayāmāsa snānārthaṃ tīrthamuttamam | śaṃkhena nirmitaṃ tīrthaṃ śaṃkhatīrthamitīryate

Translation

Là, il institua un tīrtha excellent pour le bain sacré. Puisque ce tīrtha fut façonné par Śaṅkha, on l’appelle « Śaṅkhatīrtha ».

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• कल्पयामास: he arranged/created
• कल्पयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कल्पय् (धातु; √कॢप् causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (स्नानाय अर्थः) — purpose

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to tīrtham)

• शंखेन: by Śaṅkha / by the conch
• शंखेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• निर्मितम्: made, constructed
• निर्मितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मा (धातु) → निर्मित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to tīrtham)

• तीर्थम्: the tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (here: subject of itīryate)

• शंखतीर्थम्: Śaṅkha-tīrtha
• शंखतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शंखस्य तीर्थम्) — नामरूपेण

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशार्थक (quotative particle)

• ईर्यते: is called/said
• ईर्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: ‘is called/said’)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha

Type: kund/ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Śaṅkha fashions a clear bathing place—stone-lined pool/ford with flowing water—performing saṅkalpa; the tīrtha is shown as newly ‘revealed’ with divine radiance and lotuses.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha (sage)
• Śaṅkhatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s name and power are rooted in saintly agency—sages establish places that become enduring supports for dharma through snāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha, named after the sage Śaṅkha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) is the stated purpose for which the tīrtha was established.