Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

बभ्रुं च नकुलं प्राह विमुक्तो दुष्टजन्मतः । यस्मात्तस्मादिदं तीर्थं ख्यातं वै बभ्रु पावनम्

Transliteration

babhruṃ ca nakulaṃ prāha vimukto duṣṭajanmataḥ | yasmāttasmādidaṃ tīrthaṃ khyātaṃ vai babhru pāvanam

Translation

แล้วเขากล่าวแก่บัพภรุและนกุลว่า “เราพ้นแล้วจากกำเนิดอันชั่วร้าย” เพราะเหตุนั้น ตีรถะแห่งนี้จึงเลื่องชื่อว่า “บัพภรุ-ปาวนะ” คือผู้ชำระบัพภรุให้บริสุทธิ์

Word by Word

• बभ्रुम्: Babhru (name)
• बभ्रुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बभ्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• नकुलम्: Nakula (name)
• नकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — perfect, 3rd sg, active ‘said’

• विमुक्तः: freed
• विमुक्तः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — past participle ‘freed’

• दुष्टजन्मतः: from an evil birth
• दुष्टजन्मतः: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी): ‘दुष्टं जन्म’ (evil birth); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन — neuter ablative singular

• यस्मात्: because of which
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन — relative pronoun ablative singular ‘from which/wherefore’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन — demonstrative pronoun ablative singular ‘therefore/from that’

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject-determiner/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• तीर्थम्: holy place/pilgrimage site
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — neuter nominative singular

• ख्यातम्: is renowned
• ख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) → ख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — past participle used predicatively ‘is renowned’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात, निश्चयार्थक) — particle of emphasis/assurance

• बभ्रु: O Babhru
• बभ्रु: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बभ्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — vocative singular

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Karta (Subject-attribute/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — neuter nominative singular (agreeing with तीर्थम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice; quoted speech within narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Babhru-pāvana

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhartṛyajña addresses Babhru and Nakula near the sacred waters/shrine, declaring his release from evil birth; a signboard-like inscription ‘Babhru-pāvana’ is suggested as the tīrtha’s newly established fame.

Characters & Entities

• Babhru
• Nakula
• Babhru-pāvana Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes famous through lived transformation—when devotees are purified, the place-name itself memorializes that grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Babhru-pāvana tīrtha (a named sacred spot within the Guptakṣetra/saṅgama complex).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is specified here; it explains the tīrtha’s fame and purificatory power.