Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कलापादिषु ग्रामेषु को वसेत विचक्षणः । यदि वासः स्तम्भतीर्थे क्षणार्धमपि लभ्यते

Transliteration

kalāpādiṣu grāmeṣu ko vaseta vicakṣaṇaḥ | yadi vāsaḥ stambhatīrthe kṣaṇārdhamapi labhyate

Translation

କଲାପା ଆଦି ସାଧାରଣ ଗ୍ରାମରେ କିଏ ବିଚକ୍ଷଣ ବସିବ, ଯଦି ସ୍ତମ୍ଭତୀର୍ଥରେ ଅର୍ଧକ୍ଷଣ ମାତ୍ର ନିବାସ ମଧ୍ୟ ଲଭ୍ୟ ହୁଏ?

Word by Word

• कलापादिषु: in villages like Kalāpā (etc.)
• कलापादिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलापादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; 'कलापादि'-शब्दः (आदि-प्रत्ययान्त)

• ग्रामेषु: in villages
• ग्रामेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• वसेत: would dwell
• वसेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विचक्षणः: discerning/wise
• विचक्षणः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कः)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Nipāta (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: 'if')

• वासः: residence/dwelling
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्तम्भतीर्थे: at Stambha-tīrtha
• स्तम्भतीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भ-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्तम्भ + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• क्षणार्धम्: half a moment
• क्षणार्धम्: Kāla-parimāṇa (Measure of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण-अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक; क्षण + अर्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक निपात (even/also)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive voice)

Speaker

Hārīta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Stambhatīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śātātapa and companions

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: humble village lanes labeled ‘Kalāpā’ in the distance, while the foreground shows Stambhatīrtha—perhaps marked by a sacred pillar (stambha), a small shrine, and pilgrims arriving with urgency, as if time itself is precious.

Characters & Entities

• Hārīta
• Stambhatīrtha
• Kalāpā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even minimal contact with a powerful tīrtha surpasses prolonged life in spiritually ordinary places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Stambhatīrtha is explicitly praised as uniquely merit-giving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is tīrtha-vāsa (staying/residing at the sacred site), even briefly, for accruing puṇya.