Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

यांत्या शक्त्या तया पार्थ यत्कृतं विवरं भुवि । पातालगंगातोयेन पूरितं पापहारिणा

Transliteration

yāṃtyā śaktyā tayā pārtha yatkṛtaṃ vivaraṃ bhuvi | pātālagaṃgātoyena pūritaṃ pāpahāriṇā

Translation

اے پارتھ! اُس روانہ ہوتی ہوئی شَکتی نے زمین میں جو شگاف پیدا کیا تھا، وہ پاتال گنگا کے گناہ ہار پانی سے بھر گیا۔

Word by Word

• यान्त्या: by (her) going
• यान्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत् (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle) — ‘going’

• शक्त्या: by the spear/power
• शक्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तया: by her/that
• तया: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शक सर्वनाम

• कृतम्: made
• कृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• विवरम्: a hole/cavity
• विवरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• भुवि: in the earth
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (स्त्री; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पाताल: netherworld
• पाताल: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद (compound member)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद (compound member)

• तोयेन: with the water of the Pātāla-Gaṅgā
• तोयेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल+गङ्गा+तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पातालगङ्गायाः तोयम्)

• पूरितम्: filled
• पूरितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूरित (पूर्/पॄ धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

• पापहारिणा: by the sin-removing (water)
• पापहारिणा: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप+हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पापं हरति इति)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; addressing a listener with epic-style vocative 'Pārtha')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Emergent) Siddhakūpa/Siddhakuṇḍa (named next verse)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (as addressed in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fresh cleft in the earth left by the flying spear becomes a shining well as subterranean Gaṅgā waters surge up, luminous and sanctifying, with subtle Nāga presence below.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla-Gaṅgā
• Śakti (spear weapon)
• Bhūmi (earth)
• Pārtha (address)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters arise through divine events and become instruments of purification, emphasizing grace (anugraha) in tīrtha-mahātmyas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes the formation of a sacred water-source connected to Pātāla-Gaṅgā, later named Siddhakūpa/Siddhakuṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha-merit: the water is pāpahāriṇī (sin-removing), laying the basis for later bathing (snāna) instructions.