Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 187

Devanagari script

कूपश्चापि सरः पुण्यं महाकालस्य सिद्धिदम् । अत्र ये मनुजाः पार्थ लिंगस्याराधने रताः

Transliteration

kūpaścāpi saraḥ puṇyaṃ mahākālasya siddhidam | atra ye manujāḥ pārtha liṃgasyārādhane ratāḥ

Translation

ଏଠାରେ ଏକ କୂପ ଓ ଏକ ପୁଣ୍ୟ ସରୋବର ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଛି; ଏହା ମହାକାଳ-ସମ୍ବନ୍ଧୀୟ ସିଦ୍ଧି ଦେଇଥାଏ। ହେ ପାର୍ଥ, ଯେ ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନେ ଏଠାରେ ଲିଙ୍ଗାରାଧନାରେ ରତ—

Word by Word

• कूपः: a well
• कूपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• सरः: a lake/pond
• सरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• महाकालस्य: of Mahākāla
• महाकालस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सिद्धिदम्: granting success
• सिद्धिदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्धि + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—सिद्धिं ददाति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्राय)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• मनुजाः: people, men
• मनुजाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• आराधने: in worship
• आराधने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• रताः: devoted, engaged
• रताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘रक्त/रत’ = engaged, devoted

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla-associated Kūpa and Puṇya-saras

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna (addressed as Pārtha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred precinct: Mahākāla’s Liṅga-temple in the background; a stone-lined well and a serene lake in the foreground; pilgrims performing simple worship with flowers and water, absorbed in devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Pārtha (listener-epithet)
• Liṅga
• Kūpa (well)
• Saraḥ (sacred pond)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography supports spiritual practice—holy waters and steady liṅga-worship together lead to siddhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s tīrtha-region, with special mention of a holy well and pond connected to Mahākāla worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅgasyārādhana (worship of the liṅga) is highlighted; the mention of kūpa/saraḥ implies tīrtha-snān and ritual purity practices.