Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

स्तंभाख्यं तत्र तीर्थं तु त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । तत्र ये मनुजाः स्नानं प्रकुर्वंति विपश्चितः

Transliteration

staṃbhākhyaṃ tatra tīrthaṃ tu triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam | tatra ye manujāḥ snānaṃ prakurvaṃti vipaścitaḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ‘സ്തംഭ’ എന്ന പേരിലുള്ള ഒരു തീർത്ഥമുണ്ട്; അത് ത്രിലോകങ്ങളിലും പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്. അവിടെ ജ്ഞാനികൾ സ്നാനം ചെയ്‌താൽ—

Word by Word

• स्तम्भाख्यम्: named ‘Stambha’
• स्तम्भाख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तम्भ + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; स्तम्भ-आख्य = 'स्तम्भ' इति आख्या यस्य (determinative)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (Object/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• त्रिषु: in three
• त्रिषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री/नपुंसक (त्रिलिङ्ग), सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• लोकेषु: in the worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• विश्रुतम्: renowned
• विश्रुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; 'renowned'

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun)

• मनुजाः: people/men
• मनुजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: perform/do
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• विपश्चितः: wise
• विपश्चितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; 'wise' (qualifying मनुजाः)

Speaker

Bhṛgu (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Staṃbha-tīrtha

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a muni (explicitly addressed later as ‘mune’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred ford named Staṃbha, with pilgrims approaching a shining confluence where a river meets the sea; the atmosphere suggests ancient fame and unseen potency.

Characters & Entities

• Staṃbha-tīrtha
• Tri-loka (three worlds)
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wisdom expresses itself through sacred practice—snāna at a famed tīrtha is portrayed as a deliberate dharmic act with cosmic recognition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Staṃbha-tīrtha, situated at/near the Mahī–Sāgara confluence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Staṃbha-tīrtha.