Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ततः शेषाणि पद्मानि निहितानि धरातले । ब्रह्मकुण्डस्य मध्ये तु नापुण्यो लभते नरः

Transliteration

tataḥ śeṣāṇi padmāni nihitāni dharātale | brahmakuṇḍasya madhye tu nāpuṇyo labhate naraḥ

Translation

అనంతరం మిగిలిన పద్మములు భూమిపై నిక్షిప్తమయ్యాయి. అయితే బ్రహ్మకుండ మధ్యభాగంలో అపుణ్యుడు మనుష్యుడు ఫలమును గాని అధికారం గాని పొందడు.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) अर्थे—तस्मात्/ततः (thereafter/from that)

• śeṣāṇi: remaining
• śeṣāṇi: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• padmāni: lotuses
• padmāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• nihitāni: were placed/deposited
• nihitāni: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे—"स्थापितानि/निक्षिप्तानि"

• dharātale: on the earth's surface
• dharātale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā-tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—धरायाः तलम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• brahmakuṇḍasya: of Brahmakuṇḍa
• brahmakuṇḍasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मणः कुण्डम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः), नाम

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

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

• apuṇyaḥ: a sinful person
• apuṇyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (prefixal negation)

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• naraḥ: man/person
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; अपुण्यः इति विशेष्य (apposition)

Speaker

Narrator within the Māhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmakuṇḍa (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred pool (Brahmakuṇḍa) with lotus remnants placed upon the earth; an unseen boundary of merit—only the worthy can truly ‘enter’ the sanctum of the waters.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmakuṇḍa
• Padma (lotus)
• Puṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas yield their deepest fruit to those aligned with puṇya and reverence; inner worthiness governs spiritual access.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmakuṇḍa within Prabhāsakṣetra, portrayed as a highly guarded center of merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, one should cultivate puṇya—through dharma, charity, and devotion—to be fit for Brahmakuṇḍa’s full tīrtha-benefit.