Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

तत्पूर्वतो नारदेन तपस्तप्तं महत्तरम् । लिंगं च स्थापितं श्रेष्ठं कुंडं चापि शुभं कृतम्

Transliteration

tatpūrvato nāradena tapastaptaṃ mahattaram | liṃgaṃ ca sthāpitaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ kuṃḍaṃ cāpi śubhaṃ kṛtam

Translation

ทางทิศตะวันออกจากนั้น นารทได้บำเพ็ญตบะอันยิ่งใหญ่ และได้สถาปนาลึงคะอันประเสริฐ พร้อมทั้งสร้างกุณฑะอันเป็นมงคลไว้ด้วย

Word by Word

• तत्पूर्वतः: to the east/before of that
• तत्पूर्वतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + पूर्वतः (अव्यय; पूर्व + तस्)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: to the east/before of that)

• नारदेन: by Nārada
• नारदेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (कर्ता-करणभावे), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-तृतीया (agent in passive sense)

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (तप्तम् इत्यस्य)

• तप्तम्: performed; practiced
• तप्तम्: Karma (Object state/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप्त (कृदन्त; √तप् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• महत्तरम्: greater; very great
• महत्तरम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्तर (प्रातिपदिक; महत् + तरप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative) विशेषणम् (तपः)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (स्थापितम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• स्थापितम्: established
• स्थापितम्: Karma (Object state/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थापित (कृदन्त; √स्था (धातु) णिच् → स्थापयति; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• श्रेष्ठम्: excellent
• श्रेष्ठम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लिङ्गम्)

• कुण्डम्: a pond/tank
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (कृतम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कुण्डम्)

• कृतम्: made; constructed
• कृतम्: Karma (Object state/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय; विशेषणम् (कुण्डम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārada-kuṇḍa and Nāradeśvara

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, with vīṇā set aside, stands in deep austerity near a newly established liṅga; beside it an orderly stone-lined kuṇḍa gleams, signifying auspiciousness and ritual readiness.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Liṅga
• Kuṇḍa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great sages sanctify geography through tapas and consecration, turning locations into enduring tīrthas for later pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The eastern site associated with Nārada’s consecrated liṅga and the auspicious kuṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it narrates the tīrtha’s establishment through tapas, liṅga-sthāpana, and kuṇḍa creation.