Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

मुनेस्तस्योत्तरे भागे कुण्डं तक्षकसंज्ञितम् । कृतोदकक्रियस्तत्र न सर्पैरभिभूयते

Transliteration

munestasyottare bhāge kuṇḍaṃ takṣakasaṃjñitam | kṛtodakakriyastatra na sarpairabhibhūyate

Translation

ആ മുനിസ്ഥലത്തിന്റെ വടക്കുഭാഗത്ത് ‘തക്ഷക’ എന്ന പേരിലുള്ള കുണ്ഡം ഉണ്ട്. അവിടെ ഉദകക്രിയ ചെയ്തവൻ സർപ്പങ്ങളാൽ കീഴടക്കപ്പെടുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• उत्तरे: in the northern
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; 'भागे' इति विशेषण

• भागे: part/region
• भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• कुण्डम्: a pond
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विषय/उद्देश्य

• तक्षकसंज्ञितम्: named Takṣaka
• तक्षकसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तक्षक + संज्ञित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; संज्ञा-धात्वर्थे), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'कुण्डम्' इति विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (तक्षक-नाम्ना संज्ञितम्)

• कृतोदकक्रियः: one who has performed the water-rite (ablution)
• कृतोदकक्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + उदक + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहिर्वाक्ये कर्तृपद-विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (उदकक्रिया कृतः यस्य)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• न: not
• न: None (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• सर्पैः: by snakes
• सर्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; करण (agent in passive)

• अभिभूयते: is overpowered
• अभिभूयते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Takṣaka-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/munis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm pond named Takṣaka with stone steps; a pilgrim performs udaka-kriyā—cupping water, offering tarpaṇa—while a stylized nāga motif appears on a nearby shrine-stone, signifying protection.

Characters & Entities

• Takṣaka-kuṇḍa
• Serpents (sarpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper tīrtha-rituals (water-rites) done at a sanctified site are said to remove fear and ward off specific afflictions, here symbolized by serpents.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Takṣaka-named kuṇḍa located to the north within the Kāśī sacred topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Udaka-kriyā—water-based rites such as ablution and related ritual actions performed at the kuṇḍa.