Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

जयादित्यकूपवरे नरः स्नात्वा प्रयत्नतः । गर्भेश्वरं नमस्कृत्य न स गर्भेषु मज्जति

Transliteration

jayādityakūpavare naraḥ snātvā prayatnataḥ | garbheśvaraṃ namaskṛtya na sa garbheṣu majjati

Translation

శ్రేష్ఠమైన జయాదిత్య కూపంలో శ్రమతో స్నానం చేసి, గర్భేశ్వరునికి నమస్కరించినవాడు మళ్లీ గర్భాలలో మునగడు (పునర్జన్మ పొందడు)।

Word by Word

• जयादित्यकूपवरे: in the excellent Jayāditya well
• जयादित्यकूपवरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जयादित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कूप (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (जयादित्यस्य कूपः, तस्मिन् वरे)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु √स्ना)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having bathed)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): प्रयत्नतः = प्रयत्नेन/प्रयत्नात् (with effort)

• गर्भेश्वरम्: Garbheśvara (Lord over the womb)
• गर्भेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गर्भस्य ईश्वरः)

• नमस्कृत्य: having bowed to
• नमस्कृत्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस्-√कृ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) from नमस्करोति; पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having saluted)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गर्भेषु: in wombs
• गर्भेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन

• मज्जति: sinks / is immersed (i.e., falls again)
• मज्जति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मज्ज् (धातु √मज्ज्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jayāditya-kūpa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim emerges from the Jayāditya well, water dripping, then walks to a nearby Garbheśvara liṅga shrine and bows deeply; a symbolic lotus or broken chain suggests release from rebirth.

Characters & Entities

• Jayāditya-kūpa
• Garbheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earnest tīrtha-bathing combined with Śiva-devotion (Garbheśvara) is praised as a means to transcend rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jayāditya-kūpa (the Jayāditya well), together with the shrine of Garbheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna in Jayāditya-kūpa and namaskāra (reverent salutation) to Garbheśvara.