Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पुरा पिण्डोदकोनाम ब्राह्मणोऽभून्महामते । मन्दप्रज्ञोऽल्पमेधावी सोपाध्यायेन पाठितः

Transliteration

purā piṇḍodakonāma brāhmaṇo'bhūnmahāmate | mandaprajño'lpamedhāvī sopādhyāyena pāṭhitaḥ

Translation

హే మహామతీ! పూర్వకాలంలో పిండోదకనామక బ్రాహ్మణుడు ఉండేవాడు. అతడు మందప్రజ్ఞుడు, అల్పమేధావి; ఉపాధ్యాయుడు అతనికి పాఠం చెప్పేవాడు.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly; once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• पिण्डोदक: Piṇḍodaka (name)
• पिण्डोदक: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डोदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक (indeclinable indicating ‘by name’)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (पिण्डोदकः) इति विशेष्य

• अभूत्: was; became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् मतिः यस्य)

• मन्दप्रज्ञः: dull-witted
• मन्दप्रज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द + प्रज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (पिण्डोदकः); कर्मधारय (मन्दा प्रज्ञा यस्य)

• अल्पमेधावी: of little intelligence
• अल्पमेधावी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प + मेधाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारय (अल्पा मेधा यस्य)

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

• उपाध्यायेन: by a teacher
• उपाध्यायेन: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पाठितः: was taught
• पाठितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सः) इति कर्तृसंबन्धे

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piṇḍodaka

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble brāhmaṇa youth named Piṇḍodaka sits before his ācārya; the teacher instructs patiently with palm-leaf text; the student’s earnestness contrasts with his described dullness, foreshadowing later tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Piṇḍodaka (brāhmaṇa)
• Upādhyāya (teacher)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual greatness is not restricted to brilliance; purāṇic narratives often show transformation through guidance, humility, and later tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the person (Piṇḍodaka) whose tapas gives rise to Piṇḍodaka Tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it sets up the origin story that will explain the tīrtha’s sanctity.