Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सरश्चकार तस्याग्रे उत्तमं जल पूरितम् । सरस्यस्मिन्महाभाग कृत्वा स्नानादितर्पणम्

Transliteration

saraścakāra tasyāgre uttamaṃ jala pūritam | sarasyasminmahābhāga kṛtvā snānāditarpaṇam

Translation

അവളുടെ മുമ്പിൽ അദ്ദേഹം ശുദ്ധജലത്തോടെ നിറഞ്ഞ ഒരു ഉത്തമ തടാകം സൃഷ്ടിച്ചു. ഹേ മഹാഭാഗ! ആ തടാകത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് തർപ്പണാദി കർമങ്ങൾ നിർവഹിച്ചു,

Word by Word

• सरः: a lake
• सरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति/प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपे (made a lake)

• चकार: made
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him/it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः ‘in front’

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• जलपूरितम्: filled with water
• जलपूरितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + पूरित (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जलेन पूरितम् = filled with water)

• सरसि: in the lake
• सरसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक; महा + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्य)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having done’

• स्नानादितर्पणम्: bathing and related offerings
• स्नानादितर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्नान-आदि च तर्पणं च = rites beginning with bathing and offerings)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Chatrajā-saras (lake before the shrine)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clear, lotus-filled lake glistens before the Devī’s shrine; a pilgrim performs snāna and then tarpaṇa with cupped hands, water streaming back into the saras; priests guide the rite under forest shade.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Sacred lake (saras)
• Tarpaṇa
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are providentially established for purification; snāna and tarpaṇa there sanctify one’s religious life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred lake (saras) situated before the goddess’s presence in the Dharmāraṇya area.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) and tarpaṇa (libations) to be performed in the lake.