Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

चखान च सरः पुण्यं नाम्ना ब्रह्मसरः शुभम । महीनगरकात्पूर्वे महापातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

cakhāna ca saraḥ puṇyaṃ nāmnā brahmasaraḥ śubhama | mahīnagarakātpūrve mahāpātakanāśanam

Translation

അവൻ മഹീനഗരകത്തിന്റെ കിഴക്കായി ‘ബ്രഹ്മസരഃ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിലുള്ള പുണ്യവും ശുഭവും ആയ ഒരു തടാകം കുഴിച്ചു; അത് മഹാപാതകനാശിനിയാണ്।

Word by Word

• चखान: dug
• चखान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect 3rd sg.

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• सरः: a lake
• सरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (Vedic/epic usage: सरः for सरसम्)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular qualifying ‘सरः’

• नाम्ना: by the name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (means: ‘by name/as named’)

• ब्रह्मसरः: Brahma-saras (Brahmā’s lake)
• ब्रह्मसरः: Apposition (नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः सरः); Nominative singular (name-apposition)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Appositional qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here nominative/accusative singular qualifying ‘ब्रह्मसरः/सरः’

• महीनगरकात्: from Mahīnagaraka
• महीनगरकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + नगरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (मही-नगरक = ‘earth-city’ i.e., Mahīnagaraka as place-name); Ablative singular

• पूर्वे: to the east (in the eastern side)
• पूर्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (directional)

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: Karma/Predicate qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (महापातकानां नाशनम्); predicate/epithet of ‘सरः/तीर्थम्’

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmasaras

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (unit addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā excavates an auspicious lake named Brahmasaras to the east of Mahīnagaraka; the waters glow with sanctity, promising destruction of great sins.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā
• Brahmasaras
• Mahīnagaraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters linked to divine acts become powerful tīrthas, praised for removing even grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmasaras, a holy lake situated east of Mahīnagaraka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies tīrtha-use (such as bathing) by highlighting sin-destruction, though the explicit rite appears later.