Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

पुरा सर्वोपकारार्थं तीर्थमज्ञाननाशनम् । एतद्विनिर्मितं साक्षाच्छम्भुना गन्धमादने

Transliteration

purā sarvopakārārthaṃ tīrthamajñānanāśanam | etadvinirmitaṃ sākṣācchambhunā gandhamādane

Translation

กาลก่อน เพื่อเกื้อกูลแก่สรรพชน ตีรถะนี้ผู้ทำลายอวิชชา ได้ถูกสร้างขึ้นโดยตรงโดยพระศัมภูเอง ณ เขาคันธมาทนะ

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• सर्वोपकारार्थम्: for the benefit of all
• सर्वोपकारार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वोपकारार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + उपकार + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषाम् उपकारस्य अर्थम्/हेतोः)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अज्ञाननाशनम्: destroyer of ignorance
• अज्ञाननाशनम्: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञाननाशन (प्रातिपदिक; अज्ञान + नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'तीर्थम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अज्ञानस्य नाशनम्)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विनिर्मितम्: was constructed
• विनिर्मितम्: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + निर् + मा (धातु) → विनिर्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'एतत्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• साक्षात्: directly
• साक्षात्: Adverbial (रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रत्यक्ष/स्वयम्-वाचक (directly, in person)

• शम्भुना: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुना: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• गन्धमादने: on/at Gandhamādana (mountain)
• गन्धमादने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक; गन्ध + मादन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jaṭātīrtha (implied as ‘etad tīrtham’)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ / munayaḥ (contextual audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śambhu manifests a radiant spring/ford on Gandhamādana: a rocky Himalayan slope, fragrant winds, celestial beings witnessing the birth of a tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Gandhamādana
• Jaṭātīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s power is grounded in divine intention: it exists for universal welfare and for dispelling ignorance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jaṭātīrtha (the chapter’s featured tīrtha), said to be established by Śiva on Gandhamādana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse provides the tīrtha’s divine origin to support pilgrimage and snāna there.