Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

रघुनाथसरः पुण्यं द्विजाः पापहरं तथा । रघुनाथसरस्तीरे कृतो यज्ञोऽल्पदक्षिणः

Transliteration

raghunāthasaraḥ puṇyaṃ dvijāḥ pāpaharaṃ tathā | raghunāthasarastīre kṛto yajño'lpadakṣiṇaḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ, രഘുനാഥ സരോവരം പുണ്യവും പാപഹരവും ആകുന്നു. അതിന്റെ തീരത്ത് അല്പ ദക്ഷിണയോടെ ഒരു യജ്ഞം നടത്തപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• रघुनाथसरः: Raghunātha’s lake
• रघुनाथसरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघुनाथ-सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘रघुनाथस्य सरः’

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सरः)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative-like address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• पापहरम्: sin-destroying
• पापहरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘पापं हरति’ (sin-removing); विशेषणम् (सरः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (Kriya-visheshana/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यार्थक (likewise/also)

• रघुनाथसरःतीरे: on the bank of Raghunātha’s lake
• रघुनाथसरःतीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघुनाथ-सरस्-तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘रघुनाथसरसः तीरम्’

• कृतः: performed
• कृतः: Kriya (Predicate via participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘यज्ञः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यज्ञः: sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अल्पदक्षिणः: with small sacrificial fee
• अल्पदक्षिणः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प-दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘अल्पा दक्षिणा यस्य’ (having small fee); विशेषणम् (यज्ञः)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation of narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raghunātha-saras

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas / ṛṣis (addressed as ‘dvijāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil sacred lake with steps; brahmins and pilgrims; on the bank, a modest yajña-vedi with small dakṣiṇā offerings (few coins/cloth), yet radiant sanctity; a subtle emblem of Rāma (bow/arrow or Rāma icon) indicating Raghunātha association.

Characters & Entities

• Raghunātha-saras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity can purify sins, and sincere ritual acts performed at such a place bear special merit even with minimal resources.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Raghunātha-saras (the sacred lake of Raghunātha/Rāma).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of yajña on the lake’s bank; emphasis on intent over lavish dakṣiṇā.