Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कतमं शंखतीर्थं तत्कस्मिन्स्थाने व्यवस्थितम् । किंप्रभावं च निःशेषं सर्वं विस्तरतो वद

Transliteration

katamaṃ śaṃkhatīrthaṃ tatkasminsthāne vyavasthitam | kiṃprabhāvaṃ ca niḥśeṣaṃ sarvaṃ vistarato vada

Translation

ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ “ศังคคตีรถะ” นั้นคือที่ใด และตั้งอยู่ ณ สถานที่ใด? และมีอานุภาพเช่นไร? โปรดกล่าวทุกสิ่งให้ครบถ้วนโดยพิสดาร

Word by Word

• कतमम्: which
• कतमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण

• शंखतीर्थम्: Śaṅkha-tīrtha
• शंखतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• स्थाने: place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितम्: situated/established
• व्यवस्थितम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त/भूतकर्मणि (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (स्थितम् = situated)

• किंप्रभावम्: what (is its) power/effect
• किंप्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (कः प्रभावः = what power/effect)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• निःशेषम्: entirely, without remainder
• निःशेषम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: completely)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनामसदृश-विशेषण (used substantively)

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), तसिल्-प्रत्ययार्थ (in detail)

• वद: tell/speak
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sages (Ṛṣayaḥ) to Sūta (deduced from immediate reply “Sūta uvāca” in next verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An assembly of brāhmaṇas respectfully questions the narrator about the exact identity, location, and miraculous efficacy of Śaṅkhatīrtha, as if consulting a sacred map.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkhatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A seeker should inquire precisely into the place, power, and practice connected with a tīrtha, because sacred geography in the Purāṇas is meant to be understood and lived.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkhatīrtha, introduced as a notable tīrtha within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya of the Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly here; the verse is an inquiry that sets up the forthcoming description of the tīrtha’s prabhāva and associated observances.