Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वर्द्धन्युवाच । अस्मिन्स्थाने महाक्षेत्रे मम तीर्थं महामते । भूयाच्च सर्वपापघ्नं मन्नाम्नेति च विश्रुतम्

Transliteration

varddhanyuvāca | asminsthāne mahākṣetre mama tīrthaṃ mahāmate | bhūyācca sarvapāpaghnaṃ mannāmneti ca viśrutam

Translation

வர்த்தனீ கூறினாள்—ஓ மகாமதியே! இம்மகாக்ஷேத்திரத்தில் என் பெயரால் ஒரு தீர்த்தம் உண்டாகுக; அது எல்லாப் பாவங்களையும் அழிப்பதாகப் புகழ்பெறுக.

Word by Word

• वर्द्धनी: Varddhanī
• वर्द्धनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्द्धनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• स्थाने: place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great sacred field
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; महत् क्षेत्रम् (कर्मधारय)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place, ford
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; महती मतिर्यस्य (कर्मधारय/बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रचलित)

• भूयात्: may it become
• भूयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वपापघ्नम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपापघ्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पाप-घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वाणि पापानि हन्ति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• मत्: my
• मत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) एकवचन-समासपूर्वपद (my)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विश्रुतम्: renowned, well-known
• विश्रुतम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (तीर्थम्) इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Varddhanī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Varddhanī-tīrtha (requested to be ‘mama tīrtham… mन्नाम्नेति’)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yama/Dharma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Varddhanī requests the formal manifestation of a tīrtha bearing her name within the Mahākṣetra, destined to destroy all sins and gain renown.

Characters & Entities

• Varddhanī
• Tīrtha (named after Varddhanī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred site becomes a channel for universal purification when it is consecrated for the good of beings and linked to dharmic intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tirtha to be known by Varddhanī’s name, praised as sarva-pāpa-ghna (destroyer of all sins) within this mahākṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, pilgrimage and tirtha-sevā; explicit ritual details are provided in the following verse.