Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा कूपेऽर्चयेदीशं सिद्धेश्वरमनन्यधीः । प्रभूतभवसंभूतपापं तस्य विलीयते

Transliteration

snātvā kūpe'rcayedīśaṃ siddheśvaramananyadhīḥ | prabhūtabhavasaṃbhūtapāpaṃ tasya vilīyate

Translation

स्नात्वा कूपेऽर्चयेद् ईशं सिद्धेश्वरमनन्यधीः । प्रभूतभवसम्भूतपापं तस्य विलीयते ॥

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive) — ‘having bathed’

• कूपे: in the well
• कूपे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ईशम्: the Lord
• ईशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सिद्ध: accomplished/holy
• सिद्ध: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास-पूर्वपद (compound member)

• ईश्वरम्: Siddheśvara
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध+ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सिद्धः ईश्वरः)

• अनन्यधीः: one whose mind is undistracted (single-pointed)
• अनन्यधीः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्य+धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समासः (अनन्या धीः यस्य सः)

• प्रभूत: abundant
• प्रभूत: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास-पूर्वपद (compound member)

• भव: worldly existence
• भव: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास-पूर्वपद (compound member)

• सम्भूत: arisen from
• सम्भूत: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्भूत (सम्+भू धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: समास-पूर्वपद (compound member); क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• पापम्: sin arising from worldly existence (in abundance)
• पापम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभूत+भव+सम्भूत+पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (भवसम्भूतं पापम्; प्रभूतं च)

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• विलीयते: dissolves/perishes
• विलीयते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ली (धातु; वि+ली)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddhakūpa/Siddhakuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bathes in the sacred well, then offers bilva leaves, water, and lamps to a Siddheśvara liṅga, standing in calm concentration as a soft aura suggests sins dissolving.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhakūpa
• Siddheśvara
• Īśa (Lord Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is completed by devotion: tīrtha-bathing joined with single-minded worship of Śiva destroys saṃsāra-born impurities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Siddhakūpa and the nearby/enshrined Siddheśvara (Śiva) at that tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna in the well followed by arcana (worship) of Lord Siddheśvara with ananyadhī (undivided attention).