Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्र उवाच । अत्रास्ति कूपिका पुण्या यस्यां संश्रयते गया । कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दश्याममावास्यादिने तथा

Transliteration

viśvāmitra uvāca | atrāsti kūpikā puṇyā yasyāṃ saṃśrayate gayā | kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśyāmamāvāsyādine tathā

Translation

വിശ്വാമിത്രൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇവിടെ പുണ്യമായ ഒരു കൂപിക (കിണർ) ഉണ്ട്; അതിൽ ഗയാ തന്നെ ആശ്രയിക്കുന്നതായി ശ്രുതി പറയുന്നു. പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷ ചതുര്ദശിയും അമാവാസ്യാദിനവും.

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कूपिका: a small well
• कूपिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूपिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• पुण्या: holy
• पुण्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• यस्याम्: in which
• यस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• संश्रयते: resorts to / takes refuge
• संश्रयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग: सम्

• गया: Gayā (sacred place)
• गया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णपक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समास: कृष्णः पक्षः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोग)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• अमावास्या-दिने: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्या-दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अमावास्यायाः दिनम्

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector (Linker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (also/likewise)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūpikā

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra points toward a stone-lined well; subtle divine aura suggests ‘Gayā residing’ within; calendrical symbols mark kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī and amāvāsyā.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Kūpikā (holy well)
• Gayā
• Kṛṣṇapakṣa
• Caturdaśī
• Amāvāsyā
• Śrāddha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain tīrthas are portrayed as ‘equivalents’ of renowned pilgrimage centers, making ancestral duty accessible through local sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A puṇyā kūpikā (holy well) where the power of Gayā is said to abide.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observances centered on Kṛṣṇapakṣa Caturdaśī and Amāvāsyā, days especially suited for pitṛ-related rites (leading into śrāddha in the next verses).