Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ततःप्रभृति तत्ख्यातं तीर्थं गोमुखसंज्ञितम् । गोमुखाद्भूतले जातं यतश्चैवं द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tataḥprabhṛti tatkhyātaṃ tīrthaṃ gomukhasaṃjñitam | gomukhādbhūtale jātaṃ yataścaivaṃ dvijottamāḥ

Translation

അന്നുമുതൽ ആ തീർത്ഥം ‘ഗോമുഖം’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായി; കാരണം ഗോവിന്റെ മുഖത്തിൽ നിന്നു ഭൂതലത്തിൽ അത് ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചു—ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ।

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter/from then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-प्रकारकं (ablatival adverb: 'thereafter/from that')

• प्रभृति: from (that time) onward
• प्रभृति: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ-पर्यन्तार्थकं (from/beginning with)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (agreeing with ख्यातम्)

• ख्यातम्: became known/famed
• ख्यातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (known/famed)

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• गोमुखसंज्ञितम्: named ‘Gomukha’
• गोमुखसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोमुख (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (संज्ञा-धातु/प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (qualifying तीर्थम्)

• गोमुखात्: from Gomukha
• गोमुखात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (ablative/अपादान); एकवचन

• भूतले: on the earth/ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (locative/अधिकरण); एकवचन

• जातम्: arose/was born
• जातम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (arisen/born)

• यतः: from which/wherefrom
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थकं/यत्-सम्बन्ध (from which/wherefrom; causal-relative)

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

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास (श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (address)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual narration in Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomukha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred spring/ford bursts forth from the mouth of a celestial cow; sages (dvijottamāḥ) witness the marvel as the place receives the name ‘Gomukha’.

Characters & Entities

• Gomukha-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s name preserves its revelation-history; remembering the origin strengthens śraddhā and the sense of sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomukha-tīrtha, explicitly named and explained in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite here; it provides the tīrtha’s nāma-kāraṇa (naming rationale), supporting pilgrimage remembrance.