Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

वेतालत्वं विनष्टं यच्छीकरस्पर्शमात्रतः । य इदं तीर्थमासाद्य चक्रतीर्थस्य दक्षिणे

Transliteration

vetālatvaṃ vinaṣṭaṃ yacchīkarasparśamātrataḥ | ya idaṃ tīrthamāsādya cakratīrthasya dakṣiṇe

Translation

ഇതിന്റെ ജലബിന്ദുക്കളുടെ സ്പർശമാത്രത്താൽ തന്നെ വേതാലത്വം നശിക്കുന്നു—ചക്രതീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ തെക്കുവശത്തുള്ള ഈ തീർത്ഥത്തെ ആരെങ്കിലും പ്രാപിച്ചാൽ,

Word by Word

• वेतालत्वम्: the state of being a vetāla
• वेतालत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेतालत्व (प्रातिपदिक; वेताल + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विनष्टम्: is destroyed
• विनष्टम्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) विधेय (predicate)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• शीकरस्पर्शमात्रतः: merely by the touch of spray/droplets
• शीकरस्पर्शमात्रतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीकर + स्पर्श + मात्र + तस् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-निर्माण)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’ = ‘from/merely by’; समासः—अव्ययीभावः (शीकरस्य स्पर्शः = शीकरस्पर्शः; तस्य मात्रम्; ततो)

• यः: whoever
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्त; ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive) ‘having reached/approached’

• चक्रतीर्थस्य: of Cakra-tīrtha
• चक्रतीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; चक्र + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चक्रस्य तीर्थम्)

• दक्षिणे: to the south (of)
• दक्षिणे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; देशवाचक

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (phala-śruti style within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vetāla-varadā Tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of sacred water droplets sparkling in sunlight; a formerly afflicted being is shown relieved as the droplets touch him, while a signpost-like cue indicates the tīrtha lies south of Cakratīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Vetāla-varadā Tīrtha
• Cakratīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is depicted as so potent that even minimal contact grants purification—underscoring faith in sacred place as dharma’s aid.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vetāla-varadā Tīrtha, explicitly placed south of Cakratīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Approaching the tīrtha (āsādya) and, by implication, bathing/touching its waters for purification.