Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

कूपो हि पयसां ये न पवित्रं वर्तते जगत् । सोपि द्विधा तदा दृष्टो नारदेन महात्मना

Transliteration

kūpo hi payasāṃ ye na pavitraṃ vartate jagat | sopi dvidhā tadā dṛṣṭo nāradena mahātmanā

Translation

پانی کا کنواں بھی—جس سے دنیا قائم رہتی اور پاکیزہ ہوتی ہے—اُسے بھی اُس وقت مہاتما نارَد نے دو حصوں میں منقسم دیکھا۔

Word by Word

• कूपः: a well
• कूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• पयसाम्: of waters
• पयसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ये: which/that (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पवित्रम्: pure; purifying
• पवित्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वर्तते: exists; is found
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: that (well)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• द्विधा: in two parts; twofold
• द्विधा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in two ways)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नारदेन: by Nārada
• नारदेन: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (sage)
• महात्मना: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of Nārada)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deductive, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kūpa (unnamed sacred well in context)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada stands beside a sacred well whose water surface appears mysteriously split into two currents or two mirrored basins, radiating purity; the surrounding air feels charged with revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a supreme Śaiva tīrtha, ordinary objects can appear transformed, indicating the power of the kṣetra and the limitations of normal perception.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedāranātha kṣetra in the Kedārakhaṇḍa of the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse focuses on a miraculous perception connected with the sanctity of the place.