Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

अभिलाषं सविज्ञाय मृगावत्या महीपतिः । कौसुम्भसलिलैः पूर्णां क्षणाद्वापीमकारयत्

Transliteration

abhilāṣaṃ savijñāya mṛgāvatyā mahīpatiḥ | kausumbhasalilaiḥ pūrṇāṃ kṣaṇādvāpīmakārayat

Translation

Comprenant le désir de Mṛgāvatī, le roi fit creuser en un instant un bassin, rempli d’eaux teintes de pourpre, comme par le carthame.

Word by Word

• अभिलाषम्: desire
• अभिलाषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिलाष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• स-विज्ञाय: having understood
• स-विज्ञाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग) + √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपद-धातु; ‘having understood/knowing well’

• मृगावत्या: of Mṛgāvatī
• मृगावत्या: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive): ‘of Mṛgāvatī’

• महीपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• महीपतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कौसुम्भ-सलिलैः: with safflower-colored water
• कौसुम्भ-सलिलैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौसुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण: ‘with safflower-dyed waters’

• पूर्णाम्: filled
• पूर्णाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पॄ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि विशेषण (qualifying object)

• क्षणात्: in a moment
• क्षणात्: Kāla/Apādāna (काल/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान/काल-सीमा: ‘within a moment/from a moment’

• वापीम्: a pond/tank
• वापीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अकारयत्: had (it) made
• अकारयत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग: ‘caused to be made/constructed’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kausumbha-vāpī / Raktavāpī (as described)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the king’s command, artisans and divine-like forces seem to manifest a pond instantly; the water shines crimson like safflower dye; the queen watches in delighted astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛgāvatī
• Mahīpati (king)
• Vāpī (pond)
• Kusumbha (safflower dye)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power can rapidly fulfill desires, yet Purāṇic storytelling often uses such fulfillment to reveal deeper karmic and dharmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu-kṣetra context remains primary; this verse highlights a specially prepared vāpī (pond) as the immediate setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied preparation for snāna: creating and filling a pond for bathing.