Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 138

Devanagari script

कुशावर्तं नाम तीर्थं ब्रह्मणा च कृतं शुभम् । ब्रह्मकुण्डमिति ख्यातं हंसतीर्थं तथा परम्

Transliteration

kuśāvartaṃ nāma tīrthaṃ brahmaṇā ca kṛtaṃ śubham | brahmakuṇḍamiti khyātaṃ haṃsatīrthaṃ tathā param

Translation

Ada tīrtha mujur bernama Kuśāvarta, yang dibuat oleh Brahmā; ia termasyhur sebagai Brahmakuṇḍa, dan demikian pula ada Haṃsatīrtha yang utama.

Word by Word

• कुशावर्तम्: Kuśāvarta (name of a tīrtha)
• कुशावर्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa + āvarta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘कुशानाम् आवर्तः’ (name)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable marker): ‘named/called’

• तीर्थम्: a sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; apposition to ‘कुशावर्तम्’

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

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

• कृतम्: made, created
• कृतम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle, passive): ‘made’ qualifying ‘तीर्थम्’

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘तीर्थम्’

• ब्रह्मकुण्डम्: Brahmakuṇḍa (name)
• ब्रह्मकुण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma + kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘ब्रह्मणः कुण्डम्’ (name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative/naming particle): ‘thus’

• ख्यातम्: known as
• ख्यातम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √khyā (धातु) → khyāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle, passive): ‘known/called’ qualifying ‘(तीर्थम्)’

• हंसतीर्थम्: Haṃsatīrtha (name)
• हंसतीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘हंसस्य तीर्थम्’ (name)

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/conjunction): ‘also/likewise’

• परम्: another; excellent
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (another/supreme) qualifying ‘हंसतीर्थम्’ or implied ‘तीर्थम्’

Speaker

Śiva (Śaṅkara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kuśāvarta (Brahmakuṇḍa); Haṃsatīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clear stone-lined kunda in a forest clearing labeled Brahmakuṇḍa/Kuśāvarta; Brahmā is shown creating or blessing the pool; nearby, white swans (haṃsa) glide on water indicating Haṃsatīrtha; pilgrims bathe and offer water-libations.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kuśāvarta
• Brahmakuṇḍa
• Haṃsatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are portrayed as divinely instituted, linking sacred geography with cosmic creators like Brahmā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kuśāvarta (Brahmakuṇḍa) and Haṃsatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicit here; the verse primarily identifies and authorizes the tīrthas by divine origin and fame.