Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

भूयः संतापिता यज्ञैः पृथिवी पृथिवीपते । सुस्राव सर्वतीर्थानां सारं साऽभून्महीनदी

Transliteration

bhūyaḥ saṃtāpitā yajñaiḥ pṛthivī pṛthivīpate | susrāva sarvatīrthānāṃ sāraṃ sā'bhūnmahīnadī

Translation

ഹേ ഭൂമിപതേ, യജ്ഞങ്ങളുടെ താപത്തിൽ ഭൂമി വീണ്ടും ദഹിച്ചു. അപ്പോൾ അവൾ സർവ്വതീർത്ഥങ്ങളുടെ സാരം ഒഴുക്കി ‘മഹീനദി’ എന്ന നദിയായി മാറി.

Word by Word

• भूयः: again; further
• भूयः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरर्थक/क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable ‘again; further’

• संतापिता: was afflicted/tormented
• संतापिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संतप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Past passive participle, feminine nominative singular

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन = Instrumental plural

• पृथिवी: the earth
• पृथिवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Nominative singular

• पृथिवीपते: O lord of the earth
• पृथिवीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी): पृथिव्याः पतिः; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन = Vocative singular

• सुस्राव: flowed forth
• सुस्राव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्रु (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/लुङ्-प्रयोग (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Perfect/Aorist-like narrative past, 3rd person singular

• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: of all sacred fords
• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Source/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: सर्वाणि तीर्थानि; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन = Genitive plural

• सारम्: essence
• सारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Accusative singular

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Nominative singular

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अोरिस्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Aorist, 3rd person singular

• महीनदी: the river named Mahī
• महीनदी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारयभाव): महीनदी ‘earth-river’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual attribution within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahīnadī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indradyumna (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Earth, scorched by sacrificial heat, releases a luminous stream that becomes Mahīnadī; the river is depicted as a goddess emerging, carrying symbols of many tīrthas within her flow.

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthivī (Earth)
• Mahīnadī
• Tīrthas (all holy places)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma burdens the world, divine sacred geography manifests—holy rivers arise as concentrated grace for purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahīnadī is praised as embodying the essence of all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it frames the origin of a tīrtha-river emerging in response to intense sacrificial activity.