Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ततश्चतुर्थे दिवसे बहूकतटे शुभे । कश्चिद्बालः सप्तवर्षः पीडापीडित आययौ

Transliteration

tataścaturthe divase bahūkataṭe śubhe | kaścidbālaḥ saptavarṣaḥ pīḍāpīḍita āyayau

Translation

Kemudian pada hari keempat, di tebing Bahūka yang mulia, datang seorang budak berusia tujuh tahun—ditindih penderitaan yang berat.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Adverbial (देश/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तदस्-तसिल्)
• Form: अपादान/कालवाचक अव्यय (from there/then)

• चतुर्थे: on the fourth
• चतुर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘दिवसे’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• दिवसे: on the day
• दिवसे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• बहूकतटे: on the bank of (the river) Bahūkā/Bahūkā-bank
• बहूकतटे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहूक-तट (प्रातिपदिक; बहूक + तट)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘बहूकतटे’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• बालः: a boy
• बालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कश्चित्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• सप्तवर्षः: seven years old
• सप्तवर्षः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त-वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक; सप्त + वर्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वयःपरिमाणवाचक—‘बालः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• पीडापीडितः: afflicted by suffering
• पीडापीडितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीडा-पीडित (प्रातिपदिक; पीडा + पीडित)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त: पीडित), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘पीडया पीडितः’

• आययौ: came
• आययौ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√या (धातु: या)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bahūka-taṭa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the fourth day, the quiet riverbank bright with morning light; a small seven-year-old boy approaches slowly, visibly in pain, while Nandabhadra stands nearby in austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Bahūka (river/place)
• boy (bāla)
• Nandabhadra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious places and timely encounters in Purāṇas often become catalysts for spiritual redirection and instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse names Bahūka-taṭa (the bank of Bahūka) as the setting, implying a sacred-geographical backdrop, though no phala (merit) is stated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it establishes time and place for the narrative.