Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

कुण्डं चास्या मया देव्याः पुण्यं निष्पादितं शुभम् । यत्र वै स्पर्शमात्रेण सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

kuṇḍaṃ cāsyā mayā devyāḥ puṇyaṃ niṣpāditaṃ śubham | yatra vai sparśamātreṇa sarvatīrthaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

ഈ ദേവിക്കായി ഞാൻ പുണ്യവും ശുഭവും ആയ ഒരു കുണ്ഡം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; അവിടെ സ്പർശമാത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ സർവതീർത്ഥഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• kuṇḍam: a pond/pool
• kuṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• asyāḥ: of her
• asyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥/Agent-instrument (Agent/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• devyāḥ: of the goddess
• devyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• puṇyam: holy, meritorious
• puṇyam: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying kuṇḍam)

• niṣpāditam: constructed/produced
• niṣpāditam: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nis+pad (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘made/produced’ (agreeing with kuṇḍam)

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying kuṇḍam/niṣpāditam)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed)

• sparśamātreṇa: by mere touch
• sparśamātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśamātra (प्रातिपदिक) = sparśa (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• sarvatīrthaphalam: the fruit of all pilgrimages
• sarvatīrthaphalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvatīrthaphala (प्रातिपदिक) = sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devī-kuṇḍa (name not specified in verse)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous kuṇḍa with lotus-filled waters beside a Devī shrine; pilgrims touch the water reverently, some bathing, while subtle divine radiance rises from the pond indicating ‘sarva-tīrtha’ presence.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Kuṇḍa (sacred pond)
• Tīrtha (all holy places)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography concentrates grace: contact with a divinely founded tīrtha can bestow vast merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Devī-associated kuṇḍa (sacred pond) established for the Goddess, praised as granting the fruit of all tīrthas by mere touch.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sparśa—touching the kuṇḍa (and by implication its waters) as a tīrtha-sevā act yielding merit.