Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

सर्वाणि नरकाण्यद्धा व्यर्थानि च भवंति हि । कामधेनुसमे तस्मिन्क्षीरकुंडे स्थितेप्यहो

Transliteration

sarvāṇi narakāṇyaddhā vyarthāni ca bhavaṃti hi | kāmadhenusame tasminkṣīrakuṃḍe sthitepyaho

Translation

Vraiment, tous les enfers deviennent vains et sans pouvoir. Merveilleux est ce Kṣīra-kuṇḍa, égal à Kāmadhenu pour accorder des grâces, ne fût-ce que par le seul fait d’y demeurer établi.

Word by Word

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• नरकाणि: hells
• नरकाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• अद्धा: certainly
• अद्धा: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्धा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/क्रियाविशेषण (indeed, certainly)

• व्यर्थानि: futile
• व्यर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• भवन्ति: become/are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/causal particle)

• कामधेनुसमे: in (a place) equal to Kāmadhenu
• कामधेनुसमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामधेनु + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—कामधेन्वाः समः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षीरकुण्डे: in the milk-pond
• क्षीरकुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीरकुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—क्षीरस्य कुण्डः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• स्थिते: being situated
• स्थिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (Kridanta)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘being situated’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/emphatic)

• अहो: ah!/indeed!
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक निपात (exclamation)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Setukhaṇḍa narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīrakuṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṣīrakuṇḍa appears as a celestial cow of light (Kāmadhenu symbolism) hovering above a milk-white pond; below, dark gates of hell crumble into insignificance as pilgrims stand protected.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣīrakuṇḍa
• Kāmadhenu
• Naraka (hells)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with an exalted tīrtha can override karmic suffering and confer extraordinary spiritual benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṣīrakuṇḍa tīrtha in the Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: seeking the tīrtha through presence and especially snāna; the verse stresses the site’s inherent potency.