Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

यत्र पूर्वं तपस्तप्तं विश्वामित्रेण धीमता । त्रिशंकोर्भूमिपालस्य कृते तीर्थे महात्मना

Transliteration

yatra pūrvaṃ tapastaptaṃ viśvāmitreṇa dhīmatā | triśaṃkorbhūmipālasya kṛte tīrthe mahātmanā

Translation

ഇതുതന്നെ ആ തീർത്ഥം; പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ധീമാനായ മഹാത്മാവ് വിശ്വാമിത്രൻ ഇവിടെ ഘോരതപസ്സു ചെയ്തു, ഭൂപാലൻ ത്രിശങ്കുവിന്റെ ഹിതാർത്ഥം ഈ തീർത്ഥം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb: where)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे अव्ययप्रयोगः; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण

• तप्तम्: was performed (was heated/undertaken)
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (तपः तप्तम्)

• विश्वामित्रेण: by Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रेण: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देशः (agent in passive)

• धीमता: wise, intelligent
• धीमता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विश्वामित्रेण)

• त्रिशंकोः: of Triśaṅku
• त्रिशंकोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशङ्कु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• भूमिपालस्य: of the king (protector of the earth)
• भूमिपालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि-पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूमेः पालः)

• कृते: for (the sake of)
• कृते: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त रूपम्; सप्तमी-एकवचन नपुंसक/पुं (लोके) ‘कृते’ इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; अर्थः ‘for the sake of’

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विश्वामित्रेण)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the Ṛṣis (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara tīrtha (Viśvāmitra-tapas-sthāna)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra seated in fierce austerity near a sacred ford—matted hair, fire-altar, and a luminous tīrtha pool/riverbank—while the intent ‘for Triśaṅku’ is symbolized by a royal figure in supplication at a distance.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Triśaṅku

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha gains enduring sanctity through the tapas of realized sages, offered for the upliftment of others.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha associated with Viśvāmitra’s austerities performed for King Triśaṅku, within the Hāṭakeśvara-related sacred region described in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated here; the verse primarily establishes the tīrtha’s origin through tapas.