Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सेतुमध्ये महातीर्थं गंधमादनपर्वते । ब्रह्मकुडमिति ख्यातं सर्व दारिद्र्यभेषजम्

Transliteration

setumadhye mahātīrthaṃ gaṃdhamādanaparvate | brahmakuḍamiti khyātaṃ sarva dāridryabheṣajam

Translation

سیتو کے بیچ، گندھمادن پہاڑ پر ایک مہاتیرتھ ہے جو ‘برہما کنڈ’ کے نام سے مشہور ہے؛ یہ ہر طرح کی تنگ دستی اور نحوست کا علاج ہے۔

Word by Word

• सेतु-मध्ये: in the middle of the bridge/causeway
• सेतु-मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सेतोः मध्ये) — Locative singular neuter

• महातीर्थम्: a great sacred ford/pilgrimage-place
• महातीर्थम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (Object or Complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातीरथ (प्रातिपदिक: महा + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular neuter; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् तीर्थम्)

• गन्धमादन-पर्वते: on Mount Gandhamādana
• गन्धमादन-पर्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गन्धमादनस्य पर्वते) — Locative singular masculine

• ब्रह्मकुडम्: Brahmakuḍa (name of a tīrtha)
• ब्रह्मकुडम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (Object or Complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मकुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular neuter

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ख्यातम्: is known (as)
• ख्यातम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle ‘known/called’

• सर्व: all, complete
• सर्व: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — agrees with भेषजम्

• दारिद्र्य-भेषजम्: remedy for poverty
• दारिद्र्य-भेषजम्: Predicate nominal (Complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारिद्र्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भेषज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दारिद्र्यस्य भेषजम्) — Nominative/Accusative singular neuter

Speaker

Narratorial voice (contextually Sūta in Adhyāya 14)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahma-kuḍa

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (explicitly addressed in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rocky sacred pool (kuṇḍa) nestled on a perfumed mountain within the Setu landscape; pilgrims approach with waterpots and offerings; subtle presence of Brahmā’s lotus, Viṣṇu’s conch-disc, and Śiva’s trident implied in the environment.

Characters & Entities

• Setu
• Gandhamādana
• Brahma-kuḍa (Brahma-kuṇḍa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is portrayed as both spiritual and worldly benefactor—removing inner and outer deprivation through sacred contact.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahma-kuṇḍa (also spelled Brahma-kuḍa) situated at Setu, on Gandhamādana mountain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, pilgrimage and snāna at Brahma-kuṇḍa; the explicit bathing instruction appears in the surrounding verses.