Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तेन तत्र कृतं कुण्डं स्वहस्तेन महात्मना । शस्त्रं विनापि भूपृष्ठं प्रविदार्य समंततः

Transliteration

tena tatra kṛtaṃ kuṇḍaṃ svahastena mahātmanā | śastraṃ vināpi bhūpṛṣṭhaṃ pravidārya samaṃtataḥ

Translation

ସେହି ମହାତ୍ମା ସେଠାରେ ନିଜ ହାତରେ କୁଣ୍ଡ କଲେ; ଅସ୍ତ୍ର ବିନାହିଁ ଭୂପୃଷ୍ଠକୁ ସମସ୍ତ ଦିଗରୁ ଫାଟିଦେଲେ।

Word by Word

• तेन: by him; with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agentive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देशः

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Deictic)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• कृतम्: made
• कृतम्: Karma (Object predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (‘made’)

• कुण्डम्: a pond; basin
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• स्वहस्तेन: with (his) own hand
• स्वहस्तेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-हस्त (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + हस्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणम्

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Agentive instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; महा + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषण/करण-सम्बन्धः

• शस्त्रम्: a weapon
• शस्त्रम्: Karma (Object with vinā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘विना’ इत्यस्य सह (object of vinā)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्गसदृश-निपातः; ‘without’)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; emphasis/concession)

• भूपृष्ठम्: the earth’s surface
• भूपृष्ठम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू-पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; भू + पृष्ठ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• प्रविदार्य: having split open
• प्रविदार्य: Kriya-visheshana (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-विदॄ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (‘having split’)

• समन्ततः: on all sides; all around
• समन्ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परितोऽर्थे; adverb ‘on all sides’)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great-souled figure stands on bare earth and, without weapons, rends the ground open on all sides, forming a circular sacred pond; the earth splits like petals around a central hollow.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Viśvāmitra (implied)
• Kuṇḍa (sacred pond)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A perfected sage’s tapas can sanctify the land itself, establishing tīrthas that uplift future generations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A kuṇḍa (sacred pond) created at the tīrtha by the great sage (contextually Viśvāmitra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not directly; the verse explains the tīrtha’s origin (utpatti), which supports later bathing/ritual merit.