Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

यत्र सा पतिता कुण्डे शूलभेदे नराधिप । देवनद्याः प्रतीच्यां तु तत्र प्राची सरस्वती

Transliteration

yatra sā patitā kuṇḍe śūlabhede narādhipa | devanadyāḥ pratīcyāṃ tu tatra prācī sarasvatī

Translation

നരാധിപാ! ശൂലഭേദത്തിൽ അവൾ പതിച്ച ആ കുണ്ടിൽ തന്നേ, ദേവനദിയുടെ പടിഞ്ഞാറ് ഭാഗത്ത് അവിടെ കിഴക്കോട്ടൊഴുകുന്ന സരസ്വതി പ്രവഹിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• सा: she (the river)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पतिता: fell/descended
• पतिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकृदन्त (past participle, intransitive); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कुण्डे: in the pool
• कुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• शूलभेदे: at Śūlabheda (place)
• शूलभेदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलभेद (प्रातिपदिक: शूल + भेद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• नराधिप: O king
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप (प्रातिपदिक: नर + अधिप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• देवनद्याः: of the divine river
• देवनद्याः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवनदी (प्रातिपदिक: देव + नदी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• प्रतीच्याम्: in the west
• प्रतीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• प्राची: eastern/eastward
• प्राची: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (eastern/flowing eastward)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī (river)
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda-kuṇḍa; Sarasvatī-prācī-srotas (local)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king is addressed while a sage points out a sacred pond at Śūlabheda; to the west lies the divine river, and nearby an east-flowing Sarasvatī stream glimmers, subtle and sanctified.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlabheda
• Kuṇḍa
• Devanadī
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are mapped through divine events; knowing their location and sanctity supports faith-filled pilgrimage (tīrtha-yātrā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda and its kuṇḍa, described in relation to the Devanadī and the (eastward) Sarasvatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse primarily identifies the tīrtha’s sacred geography.