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

Inilah tīrtha suci tempat pada zaman dahulu Viśvāmitra yang bijaksana dan berhati agung menjalani tapa yang amat keras, lalu menegakkan tīrtha ini demi Raja Triśaṅku.

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.