Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

दण्डोद्भेदं महाकुण्डं यत्र दंष्ट्रा सुसंस्थिता । तद्दंष्ट्रयोद्धृतं तोयं कोटिगंगाभिषेकवत्

Transliteration

daṇḍodbhedaṃ mahākuṇḍaṃ yatra daṃṣṭrā susaṃsthitā | taddaṃṣṭrayoddhṛtaṃ toyaṃ koṭigaṃgābhiṣekavat

Translation

Là se trouve le grand bassin nommé Daṇḍodbheda, où la défense (du Varāha) est solidement établie. L’eau soulevée par cette défense est tenue pour équivalente à une ablution d’onction dans la Gaṅgā dix millions de fois.

Word by Word

• daṇḍodbhedam: Daṇḍodbheda (name of the place/feature)
• daṇḍodbhedam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + udbheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दण्डस्य उद्भेदः; स्थाननाम)

• mahākuṇḍam: the great pond
• mahākuṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महत् कुṇ्डम्)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्धे (relative adverb of place)

• daṃṣṭrā: the tusk
• daṃṣṭrā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃṣṭrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• susaṃsthitā: well-set/firmly placed
• susaṃsthitā: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- + sam-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘well-established/firmly placed’

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• daṃṣṭrayā: by the tusk
• daṃṣṭrayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃṣṭrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• uddhṛtam: drawn up/raised
• uddhṛtam: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud-√dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (तोयम्) उद्धृतम्

• toyam: water
• toyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• koṭigaṃgābhiṣekavat: like the ablution of a crore of Gaṅgās
• koṭigaṃgābhiṣekavat: Karta (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + abhiṣeka (प्रातिपदिक) + -vat (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः + वत्-प्रत्यय (कोटिगङ्गाभिषेकवत् = कोटिगङ्गानां अभिषेक इव)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daṇḍodbheda Mahākuṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed implicitly through the surrounding dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A large stepped sacred pond (mahākuṇḍa) with a visible, sanctified Varāha-tusk emblem rising from or set at the edge; pilgrims scoop water in vessels, performing abhiṣeka; the scene conveys ‘koṭi-gaṅgā’ potency through luminous water.

Characters & Entities

• Daṇḍodbheda
• Daṃṣṭrā (Varāha’s tusk)
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters connected to divine līlā (here, Varāha’s tusk) bestow extraordinary purification and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The great pond (mahākuṇḍa) named Daṇḍodbheda in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ritual bathing/ablution (abhiṣeka-like snāna) in the water of Daṇḍodbheda is implied as highly meritorious.