Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

आदिस्थानं कुरुश्रेष्ठ देवैरपि सुदुर्लभम् । रविकुण्डे नरः स्नात्वा श्रद्धायुक्तो जितेंद्रियः

Transliteration

ādisthānaṃ kuruśreṣṭha devairapi sudurlabham | ravikuṇḍe naraḥ snātvā śraddhāyukto jiteṃdriyaḥ

Translation

โอ กุรุผู้ประเสริฐ สถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์ดั้งเดิมนี้ แม้เหล่าเทวะก็ยากจะได้มา ผู้ใดอาบสนาน ณ รวิกุณฑะด้วยศรัทธา สำรวมอินทรีย์—

Word by Word

• आदि-स्थानम्: the primordial/original place
• आदि-स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आदेः स्थानम्)

• कुरु-श्रेष्ठ: O best of the Kurus
• कुरु-श्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुरूणां श्रेष्ठः)

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), ‘also/even’

• सु-दुर्लभम्: very hard to obtain
• सु-दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आदि-स्थानस्य)

• रवि-कुण्डे: in the Sun-pond (Ravikuṇḍa)
• रवि-कुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रवेः कुण्डम्)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having bathed’

• श्रद्धा-युक्तः: endowed with faith
• श्रद्धा-युक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (श्रद्धया युक्तः)

• जित-इन्द्रियः: one who has conquered his senses
• जित-इन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √जि) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य इन्द्रियाणि जितानि सः)

Speaker

Narrator of the Dharmāraṇya-māhātmya (addressing a Kuru king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravikuṇḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuruśreṣṭha (best of the Kurus)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A secluded forest tīrtha: a radiant sun-tinted kuṇḍa, sages and pilgrims entering the water with folded hands; the atmosphere suggests an ancient, ‘first’ sanctum guarded by unseen devas.

Characters & Entities

• Ravikuṇḍa
• Kuru lineage
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha merit is intensified by inner discipline—faith (śraddhā) and sense-control (jitendriyatā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ravikuṇḍa is praised as an ‘ādi-sthāna’—a primordial sacred locus, rare even for devas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Ravikuṇḍa, undertaken with śraddhā and self-restraint.