Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अर्जुन उवाच । अहल्यया कदा ब्रह्मन्खानितं वै महत्सरः । तन्मम ब्रूहि सकलमहल्यासरःकारणम्

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | ahalyayā kadā brahmankhānitaṃ vai mahatsaraḥ | tanmama brūhi sakalamahalyāsaraḥkāraṇam

Translation

อรชุนกล่าวว่า: “โอ พราหมณ์ เมื่อใดเล่าอหัลยาจึงขุดสระใหญ่ขึ้น? ขอท่านจงบอกเหตุและเรื่องราวแห่งสระอหัลยาให้ข้าพเจ้าฟังโดยครบถ้วน”

Word by Word

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वक्ता

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अहल्यया: by Ahalyā
• अहल्यया: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे (by Ahalyā)

• कदा: when
• कदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नवाचक-कालवाचक/interrogative adverb of time)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• खानितम्: was dug
• खानितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'dug/excavated' (predicate with 'सरः')

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक/particle of emphasis)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणं 'सरः'

• सरः: lake
• सरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता (of passive predicate)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'that' referring to matter/question

• मम: to me
• मम: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; 'to me/of me' (dative sense in request)

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• सकलम्: entire, complete
• सकलम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं 'कारणम्'

• अहल्यासरःकारणम्: the cause of Ahalyā’s lake
• अहल्यासरःकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहल्या + सरस् + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अहल्यासरसोः कारणम्/अहल्यासरस्य कारणम्)

Speaker

Arjuna

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ahalyā-saras

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A brāhmaṇa-sage (identified as Nārada in the next verse as respondent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Arjuna respectfully questions a brāhmaṇa-sage about the origin of Ahalyā’s great lake; the setting suggests a pilgrimage halt near the saras, with attentive listening and narrative anticipation.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Ahalyā
• Ahalyāsaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is preserved through inquiry; understanding a tīrtha’s origin deepens reverence and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ahalyāsaras, the great lake associated with Ahalyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse initiates a tīrtha-origin narration (kāraṇa/utpatti).