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

おおパールタよ、この功徳は比類なく、神々にとってさえ得難い。かつて我は、先の尖ったダルバ草の茎一本で、この池を自ら掘り起こした。

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.