Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

भेत्ता तडागकूपानां संक्रमाणांरसस्य च । एकपंक्तिस्थितानां च पाकभेदं करोति यः

Transliteration

bhettā taḍāgakūpānāṃ saṃkramāṇāṃrasasya ca | ekapaṃktisthitānāṃ ca pākabhedaṃ karoti yaḥ

Translation

ଯେ ତଡାଗ ଓ କୂପକୁ ଭାଙ୍ଗେ, ସାର୍ବଜନୀନ ଘାଟ/ସେତୁ/ପାରାପାର ଓ ଜଳକାର୍ଯ୍ୟକୁ ବିଘ୍ନ କରେ, ଏବଂ ଏକ ପଙ୍କ୍ତିରେ ବସିଥିବା ଲୋକଙ୍କ ଭୋଜନରେ ପାକ/ଭାଗ ଅଲଗା କରି ଭେଦ ସୃଷ୍ଟି କରେ—ସେ ନିନ୍ଦ୍ୟ ପାପୀ।

Word by Word

• भेत्ता: one who breaks/destroys
• भेत्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √भिद् (धातु) + तृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि तृ-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun)

• तडागकूपानाम्: of ponds and wells
• तडागकूपानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक) + कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (तडागाश्च कूपाश्च)

• संक्रमाणाम्: of bathing-steps/ghats
• संक्रमाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; संक्रम = घाट/उतरणस्थान (steps/ford)

• रसस्य: of juice/essence (taste)
• रसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• एकपंक्तिस्थितानाम्: of those seated in one row (in a communal meal)
• एकपंक्तिस्थितानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + पंक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु ‘to stand’ + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (एकायां पंक्तौ स्थिताः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• पाकभेदम्: disruption/differentiation of the cooking/meal
• पाकभेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक; √भिद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (पाकस्य भेदः) कर्म

• करोति: does/makes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund/ghat (generic waterworks and crossings)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A civic-religious scene: pilgrims at a tank/stepwell and a river crossing; a villain damages a well or blocks a causeway; beside it, a communal meal line where a disruptor tries to separate cooking pots—contrasted with dharmic volunteers repairing and serving equally.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protecting shared resources and honoring social fairness are forms of dharma; harming them is a serious moral fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named, but the verse strongly implies reverence for water-reservoirs and crossings associated with pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes not to damage water facilities and not to create discriminatory divisions in communal meals.