Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

कुम्भेश्वरं च मार्कण्डं रामेशं लक्ष्मणेश्वरम् । मेघेश्वरं मत्स्यकेशमप्सराह्रदसंज्ञकम्

Transliteration

kumbheśvaraṃ ca mārkaṇḍaṃ rāmeśaṃ lakṣmaṇeśvaram | megheśvaraṃ matsyakeśamapsarāhradasaṃjñakam

Translation

కుంభేశ్వరము మరియు మార్కండేయుని స్థలము; రామేశుడు, లక్ష్మణేశ్వరుడు; మేఘేశ్వరుడు, మత్స్యకేశుడు; అలాగే ‘అప్సరాహ్రద’ అనే తీర్థము।

Word by Word

• कुम्भेश्वरम्: Kumbheśvara (shrine name)
• कुम्भेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मार्कण्डम्: Mārkaṇḍa (name of a shrine/place)
• मार्कण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• रामेशम्: Rāmeśa (Rāmeśvara)
• रामेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• लक्ष्मणेश्वरम्: Lakṣmaṇeśvara (shrine name)
• लक्ष्मणेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• मेघेश्वरम्: Megheśvara (shrine name)
• मेघेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• मत्स्यकेशम्: Matsyakeśa (name of a shrine/place)
• मत्स्यकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य-केश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• अप्सराह्रदसंज्ञकम्: named ‘Apsarā-hrada’ (Apsarā-lake)
• अप्सराह्रदसंज्ञकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्सरा-ह्रद-संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Apsarā-hrada (within the Kumbheśvara–Matsyakeśa cluster)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence of small shrines along a river path: Kumbheśvara liṅga with a kumbha (pot) motif; a hermitage marker for Mārkaṇḍa; twin shrines Rāmeśa and Lakṣmaṇeśvara with bow-and-quiver emblems; Meghēśvara under rainclouds; Matsyakeśa with fish iconography; and a luminous lotus-filled lake where apsarases are hinted as reflections on the water.

Characters & Entities

• Kumbheśvara
• Mārkaṇḍa
• Rāmeśa
• Lakṣmaṇeśvara
• Meghēśvara
• Matsyakeśa
• Apsarā-hrada
• Apsaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma sacralizes both shrines and natural features (like lakes), presenting the world as a field for worship and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kumbheśvara, Mārkaṇḍa, Rāmeśa, Lakṣmaṇeśvara, Meghēśvara, Matsyakeśa, and Apsarā-hrada.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the naming of an hrada (lake) commonly implies snāna and reverential offerings alongside Śiva-darśana.