Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

पुरश्चंद्रं च वामेशं कुकुटेश्वरमेव च । भस्मगात्रमथोकारं त्रिसंध्या विरजा तथा

Transliteration

puraścaṃdraṃ ca vāmeśaṃ kukuṭeśvarameva ca | bhasmagātramathokāraṃ trisaṃdhyā virajā tathā

Translation

Et il est aussi des lieux saints nommés Puraścandra et Vāmeśa, ainsi que Kukuṭeśvara; puis Bhasmagātra, Athokāra, Trisandhyā, et de même Virajā.

Word by Word

• पुरश्चन्द्रम्: Puraś-candra (a sacred name/place)
• पुरश्चन्द्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय) + चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समास (पुरः + चन्द्र)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वामेशम्: Vāmeśa (a sacred name/place)
• वामेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कुकुटेश्वरम्: Kukuṭeśvara
• कुकुटेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुकुट (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुकुटस्य ईश्वरः)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भस्मगात्रम्: Bhasma-gātra (ash-bodied; a name/place)
• भस्मगात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भस्मनः गात्रम्/भस्मयुक्तं गात्रम्)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• ओकारम्: O-kāra (the syllable ‘O’; name/place)
• ओकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• त्रिसन्ध्याः: the three Sandhyās (three junction-times; name/group)
• त्रिसन्ध्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः सन्ध्याः)

• विरजाः: Virajā(s) (name/place)
• विरजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (thus/also)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from continuity of the tīrtha-catalogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puraścandra; Vāmeśa; Kukuṭeśvara; Bhasmagātra; Athokāra; Trisandhyā; Virajā (cluster)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘devi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-map tableau: a central yātrika couple with a palm-leaf itinerary, surrounded by small vignette-shrines labeled Puraścandra, Vāmeśa, Kukuṭeśvara, Bhasmagātra, Athokāra, Trisandhyā, Virajā; Śiva-liṅgas under trees, with ash-smeared ascetics at tri-sandhyā worship.

Characters & Entities

• Puraścandra
• Vāmeśa
• Kukuṭeśvara
• Bhasmagātra
• Athokāra
• Trisandhyā
• Virajā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred names and sites are themselves carriers of merit; the text maps devotion onto geography through remembrance and pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puraścandra, Vāmeśa, Kukuṭeśvara, Bhasmagātra, Athokāra, Trisandhyā, and Virajā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is described in this verse.