Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

मृगेंद्र सिंहविक्रांत महावलपराक्रम । धर्मपुष्कीरणीतोयं निःशेषं पीय तां त्वया

Transliteration

mṛgeṃdra siṃhavikrāṃta mahāvalaparākrama | dharmapuṣkīraṇītoyaṃ niḥśeṣaṃ pīya tāṃ tvayā

Translation

โอ้จอมแห่งสรรพสัตว์ ผู้ก้าวย่างดุจสิงห์ ผู้มีกำลังและวีรภาพยิ่งใหญ่ จงดื่มน้ำแห่งธรรมปุษกรินีนี้ให้หมดสิ้นด้วยเถิด

Word by Word

• मृगेन्द्र: O lord of beasts
• मृगेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (मृगाणाम् इन्द्रः); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (8th/Vocative), एकवचनम्

• सिंहविक्रान्त: O one with lion-like stride/valor
• सिंहविक्रान्त: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siṃha + vikrānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (सिंहस्य विक्रान्तम् इव); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• महावलपराक्रम: O one of great strength and prowess
• महावलपराक्रम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + bala + parākrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (महच्च बलं यस्य पराक्रमः); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• धर्मपुष्करिणी: of the Dharma-lake
• धर्मपुष्करिणी: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + puṣkariṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (धर्मस्य पुष्करिणी); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः (genitive relation) (समासपूर्वपद), एकवचनम्; (तोयम् इत्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्ध)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• निःशेषम्: entirely, without remainder
• निःशेषम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: niḥśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverbial accusative)

• पीय: drink
• पीय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (पा)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ताम्: that (water)
• ताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (तोयम् इत्यस्य अन्वयः)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Caṇḍikā/Durgā addressing her lion mount

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmapuṣkariṇī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ / Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī points toward the sacred tank; the lion, addressed as mṛgendra, prepares to drink the entire reservoir—an impossible act rendered plausible by divine command.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍikā
• Siṃha
• Dharmapuṣkariṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is not merely backdrop; tīrtha waters participate in the drama of dharma’s restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmapuṣkariṇī (Dharmapuṣkīraṇī), explicitly named as a sacred water-body.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No human ritual is prescribed; the verse narratively highlights the potency/role of the tīrtha’s water.