Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

माहात्म्यमतुलं पार्थ देवानामपि दुर्लभम् । मया पूर्वं सरः खातं दर्भांकुरशलाकया

Transliteration

māhātmyamatulaṃ pārtha devānāmapi durlabham | mayā pūrvaṃ saraḥ khātaṃ darbhāṃkuraśalākayā

Translation

Wahai Pārtha, kemuliaan (māhātmya) ini tiada banding—bahkan para dewa pun sukar memperolehnya. Dahulu aku sendiri menggali telaga ini dengan ujung batang rumput darbha.

Word by Word

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; abstract noun

• अतुलम्: incomparable
• अतुलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying माहात्म्यम्)

• पार्थ: O Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोग

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; genitive of possession/association

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); concessive/emphatic ‘even/also’

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying माहात्म्यम्)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; instrumental ‘by me’

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); कालवाचक ‘formerly/before’

• सरः: a lake
• सरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘lake/pond’

• खातम्: dug
• खातम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘dug’

• दर्भाङ्कुरशलाकया: with a stick (needle) of darbha-sprout
• दर्भाङ्कुरशलाकया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ + अङ्कुर + शलाका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; साधन-करण (instrument); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘दर्भ-अङ्कुर-रूपा शलाका’

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāradīya-saras

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine sage-like figure addresses ‘Pārtha’ while indicating a newly formed lake; the lake’s edge shows a tiny darbha stalk used as a miraculous digging tool, with earth parted as if by mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Pārtha
• darbha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity may arise from a sage’s tapas and divine intent, making its merit rare and extraordinary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāradīya-saras, a sacred lake said to have been excavated by Nārada.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it gives the tīrtha’s origin, highlighting darbha as a sacred implement.