Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

कोटितीर्थे नरश्रेष्ठ अनेके मुनयोऽमलाः । तपस्तप्त्वा सुघोरं च परां सिद्धिमपागताः

Transliteration

koṭitīrthe naraśreṣṭha aneke munayo'malāḥ | tapastaptvā sughoraṃ ca parāṃ siddhimapāgatāḥ

Translation

ಹೇ ನರಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ, ಕೋಟಿತೀರ್ಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಅನೇಕ ನಿರ್ಮಲ ಮುನಿಗಳು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಘೋರ ತಪಸ್ಸನ್ನು ತಪಿಸಿ ಪರಮ ಸಿದ್ಧಿಯನ್ನು ಪಡೆದರು.

Word by Word

• koṭitīrthe: at Koṭitīrtha
• koṭitīrthe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• naraśreṣṭha: O best of men
• naraśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधन — ‘O best of men’

• aneke: many
• aneke: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (munayaḥ)

• munayaḥ: sages
• munayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• amalāḥ: pure, spotless
• amalāḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (munayaḥ) — ‘stainless/pure’

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (taptvā इत्यस्य)

• taptvā: having practiced
• taptvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √tap (धातु, तपे) ; ‘taptvā’ (कृदन्त, क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्यय (क्त्वान्त) — पूर्वकालक्रिया: ‘having performed/undergone (austerity)’

• sughoraṃ: very severe
• sughoraṃ: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- (उपपद) + ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (tapaḥ) — ‘very terrible’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• parām: supreme
• parām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (siddhim) — ‘supreme’

• siddhim: attainment, perfection
• siddhim: Karma (Goal/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म/गत्यर्थकर्म

• apāgatāḥ: attained, reached
• apāgatāḥ: Kriya (Result state/फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa-ā-√gam (धातु) ; ‘apāgata’ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — ‘उपागताः/प्राप्ताः’ (having reached)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: naraśreṣṭha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic view of Koṭitīrtha with many sages in different austerities—standing on one leg, seated in meditation, performing homa—each surrounded by a subtle aura of attainment; the tīrtha waters shimmer as if sanctifying their practice.

Characters & Entities

• Koṭitīrtha
• muni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places magnify sincere tapas, culminating in the highest siddhi when practiced with purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭitīrtha, praised as a place where sages attain supreme perfection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights severe austerity (tapas) as the key discipline performed at Koṭitīrtha.