Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अस्य तीरे पुरा पार्थ ब्रह्माद्यैर्देवसत्तमैः । यज्ञान्बहुविधान्कृत्वा ततः सिद्धिं परां ययुः

Transliteration

asya tīre purā pārtha brahmādyairdevasattamaiḥ | yajñānbahuvidhānkṛtvā tataḥ siddhiṃ parāṃ yayuḥ

Translation

Autrefois, ô Pārtha, sur la rive de ce tīrtha, Brahmā et les plus éminents des dieux accomplirent des sacrifices de maintes sortes, puis atteignirent l’accomplissement suprême.

Word by Word

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: 'formerly')

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

• ब्रह्माद्यैः: by Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्माद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मा आदिः येषाम् (आदि-समासः/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• देवसत्तमैः: by the best of the gods
• देवसत्तमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—देवानां सत्तमाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यज्ञान्: sacrifices
• यज्ञान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• बहुविधान्: of many kinds
• बहुविधान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः—बहवः विधाः (कर्मधारय)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); 'having performed'

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरम् (adverb: 'then')

• सिद्धिम्: attainment/perfection
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सिद्धिम् इति विशेषणम्

• ययुः: went/attained
• ययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced); vocative 'Pārtha' indicates the verse is quoted from a dialogue addressing Arjuna

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha (its bank)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank, Brahmā and devas conduct multiple yajñas: altars with fire, ladles, soma vessels; flames rise while the tīrtha glows, indicating ‘parā siddhi’.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Brahmā
• Devas
• Yajña
• Koṭitīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is validated by the tapas and yajñas of exalted beings; such a place supports supreme spiritual accomplishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bank of Koṭitīrtha (the tīrtha under discussion in this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of yajñas (sacrifices) of many varieties, presented as exemplary acts done at this site.