Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

यांत्या शक्त्या तया पार्थ यत्कृतं विवरं भुवि । पातालगंगातोयेन पूरितं पापहारिणा

Transliteration

yāṃtyā śaktyā tayā pārtha yatkṛtaṃ vivaraṃ bhuvi | pātālagaṃgātoyena pūritaṃ pāpahāriṇā

Translation

Ô Pārtha, l’ouverture que cette lance, en s’éloignant, creusa dans la terre fut remplie par l’eau de la Pātāla-Gaṅgā, eau qui efface le péché.

Word by Word

• यान्त्या: by (her) going
• यान्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत् (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle) — ‘going’

• शक्त्या: by the spear/power
• शक्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तया: by her/that
• तया: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक सर्वनाम

• कृतम्: made
• कृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• विवरम्: a hole/cavity
• विवरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• भुवि: in the earth
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (स्त्री; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पाताल: netherworld
• पाताल: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद (compound member)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद (compound member)

• तोयेन: with the water of the Pātāla-Gaṅgā
• तोयेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल+गङ्गा+तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पातालगङ्गायाः तोयम्)

• पूरितम्: filled
• पूरितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूरित (पूर्/पॄ धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• पापहारिणा: by the sin-removing (water)
• पापहारिणा: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप+हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पापं हरति इति)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; addressing a listener with epic-style vocative 'Pārtha')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Emergent) Siddhakūpa/Siddhakuṇḍa (named next verse)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (as addressed in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fresh cleft in the earth left by the flying spear becomes a shining well as subterranean Gaṅgā waters surge up, luminous and sanctifying, with subtle Nāga presence below.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla-Gaṅgā
• Śakti (spear weapon)
• Bhūmi (earth)
• Pārtha (address)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters arise through divine events and become instruments of purification, emphasizing grace (anugraha) in tīrtha-mahātmyas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes the formation of a sacred water-source connected to Pātāla-Gaṅgā, later named Siddhakūpa/Siddhakuṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha-merit: the water is pāpahāriṇī (sin-removing), laying the basis for later bathing (snāna) instructions.