Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्रास्ति जलसम्पूर्णं कुण्डं पापहरं नृणाम् । तस्मिन्कुण्डे नृपश्रेष्ठ वसिष्ठेन महात्मना

Transliteration

tatrāsti jalasampūrṇaṃ kuṇḍaṃ pāpaharaṃ nṛṇām | tasminkuṇḍe nṛpaśreṣṭha vasiṣṭhena mahātmanā

Translation

അവിടെ ജലസമ്പൂർണ്ണമായ ഒരു കുണ്ടം ഉണ്ട്; അത് മനുഷ്യരുടെ പാപം ഹരിക്കുന്നു. ആ കുണ്ടത്തിൽ, ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, മഹാത്മാവായ വസിഷ്ഠനാൽ…

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person singular

• जलसम्पूर्णम्: filled with water
• जलसम्पूर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, nominative/accusative singular; विशेषण (qualifier)

• कुण्डम्: a pond
• कुण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• पापहरम्: sin-removing
• पापहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, nominative/accusative singular; विशेषण

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Masculine, genitive plural

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Pronoun, locative singular

• कुण्डे: in the pond
• कुण्डे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, locative singular

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, vocative singular (address)

• वसिष्ठेन: by Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Masculine, instrumental singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (sage)
• महात्मना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Masculine, instrumental singular; विशेषण (to वसिष्ठेन)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vasiṣṭha-kuṇḍa (implied)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clear, water-filled kunda in a forest hermitage; pilgrims descend stone steps, perform ācamana and snāna; Vasiṣṭha’s presence is felt through a radiant aura or nearby āśrama fires.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Vasiṣṭha-kuṇḍa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters at tīrthas are celebrated as instruments of purification when approached with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sin-removing kuṇḍa associated with Sage Vasiṣṭha (Vasiṣṭha-kuṇḍa) in Arbuda Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha practice: approaching the kuṇḍa for purification (further specified by subsequent verses).