Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कदा पश्यति तीर्थं वै कदा नस्तारयिष्यति । इति प्रतीक्षां कुर्वन्ति पुत्राणां सततं नृप । शूलभेदे नरः स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा शूलधरं सकृत्

Transliteration

kadā paśyati tīrthaṃ vai kadā nastārayiṣyati | iti pratīkṣāṃ kurvanti putrāṇāṃ satataṃ nṛpa | śūlabhede naraḥ snātvā dṛṣṭvā śūladharaṃ sakṛt

Translation

“అతడు ఎప్పుడు తీర్థాన్ని దర్శిస్తాడు? ఎప్పుడు మమ్మల్ని తరింపజేస్తాడు?” అని, ఓ రాజా, పితృదేవతలు తమ కుమారుల కోసం నిత్యం ఎదురుచూస్తారు. కానీ శూలభేదంలో స్నానం చేసి ఒక్కసారి అయినా శూలధారి శివుని దర్శించినవాడికి నిశ్చయంగా తరణం కలుగుతుంది.

Word by Word

• कदा: when
• कदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: 'when')

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/उपपद-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कदा: when
• कदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Sampradāna/Adhikāra (Beneficiary/possessor: 'of us')
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), बहुवचन (plural); एन्क्लिटिक रूप 'नः'

• तारयिष्यति: will deliver/save
• तारयिष्यति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); causative sense in usage 'to cause to cross/save'

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• प्रतीक्षाम्: waiting/expectation
• प्रतीक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• कुर्वन्ति: do / keep (waiting)
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• पुत्राणाम्: of (their) sons
• पुत्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

• सततम्: always
• सततम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• शूलभेदे: at Śūlabheda (place)
• शूलभेदे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलभेद (प्रातिपदिक: शूल + भेद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'शूलस्य भेदः'

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), 'having bathed'

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), 'having seen'

• शूलधरम्: the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलधरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलधर (प्रातिपदिक: शूल + धर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (singular); उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'शूलं धरति'

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/आवृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: once)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing a King (nṛpa) (deduced from vocative nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A son-pilgrim reaches a forested ford named Śūlabheda, bathes, and beholds Śiva as Śūladhara; in the subtle background, pitṛs wait with uplifted hands, their faces turning from anxiety to relief.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlabheda
• Śūladhara (Śiva)
• Pitṛs (implicitly)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and devotion are portrayed as acts of filial responsibility that uplift the pitṛs; Śiva-darśana is especially salvific.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda-tīrtha, where bathing and seeing Śiva (Śūladhara) grants deliverance to one’s ancestral line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bath) at Śūlabheda and darśana of Śiva, even once.