Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

वापीकृपतडागैश्च देवतायतनैर्युतम् । हंसकारण्डवाकीर्णं पद्मिनीखण्डमण्डितम्

Transliteration

vāpīkṛpataḍāgaiśca devatāyatanairyutam | haṃsakāraṇḍavākīrṇaṃ padminīkhaṇḍamaṇḍitam

Translation

അത് വാപി, കൂപം, തടാകം മുതലായവകൊണ്ട് ശോഭിച്ചതും ദേവതായതനങ്ങളാൽ യുക്തവുമായിരുന്നു. ഹംസ-കാരണ്ഡവ പക്ഷികളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതും, പദ്മിനീഖണ്ഡങ്ങൾ (താമരക്കാടുകൾ) കൊണ്ട് അലങ്കൃതവുമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वापी: with wells/ponds
• वापी: Karaṇa (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन (वापीभिः इत्यर्थे; -ैः रूपेण)

• कृप: with wells (kūpa-type)
• कृप: Karaṇa (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन (कृपाभिः इत्यर्थे; -ैः)

• तडागैः: with tanks/lakes
• तडागैः: Karaṇa (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• देवतā: deity
• देवतā: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• आयतनैः: with shrines/temples
• आयतनैः: Karaṇa (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• युतम्: joined with, furnished with
• युतम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यु (धातु) / युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त/निष्पन्नविशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (देवता-आयतनैः) सह युतम् = ‘endowed with’

• हंस: swan
• हंस: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• कारण्डव: duck (kāraṇḍava)
• कारण्डव: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• आकीर्णम्: filled with swans and ducks
• आकीर्णम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-कीर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (हंस-कारण्डव)-द्वन्द्व + आकीर्ण; विशेषण

• पद्मिनी: lotus-pond
• पद्मिनी: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• खण्ड: section, cluster
• खण्ड: Samāsa-aṅga
• Type: Noun
• Root: खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूप

• मण्डितम्: adorned with clusters of lotus-ponds
• मण्डितम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मण्ड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पद्मिनी-खण्ड-मण्डित) तत्पुरुषसमासः; विशेषण

Speaker

Unnamed narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāpi–Kūpa–Taḍāga complex of Bāṇapura (descriptive)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple-lined tank with lotus patches; swans and kāraṇḍava birds glide on the water; steps and small shrines ring the ponds; greenery frames the scene in cool light.

Characters & Entities

• Bāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer signs of culture—waterworks, temples, and beauty—do not alone define sanctity; true holiness rests on dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single Revā tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes the inner features of Bāṇa’s city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; there is no instruction on snāna, dāna, or japa here.