Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । इत्थं समभवत्तत्र यमुनोद्भेदमुत्तमम् । कुण्डमादित्यतो याम्ये दुंदुभिस्तत्र पूर्वतः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | itthaṃ samabhavattatra yamunodbhedamuttamam | kuṇḍamādityato yāmye duṃdubhistatra pūrvataḥ

Translation

Īśvara phán: “Như vậy, tại nơi ấy đã xảy ra sự xuất hiện thù thắng của Yamunā. Về phía nam của Āditya có một hồ, và về phía đông của hồ ấy là thánh địa (tīrtha) mang tên Duṃdubhi.”

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• समभवत्: came to be, happened
• समभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• यमुनोद्भेदम्: the Yamunā’s outburst/emanation (spring)
• यमुनोद्भेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमुनायाः उद्भेदः)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• कुण्डम्: a pond (kuṇḍa)
• कुण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आदित्यतः: from (the side of) the Sun; from the east
• आदित्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• याम्ये: in the southern direction
• याम्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); दिशिवाचक विशेषण (directional)

• दुंदुभिः: (the place called) Duṃdubhi / a kettle-drum
• दुंदुभिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुंदुभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• पूर्वतः: to the east / in front
• पूर्वतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशिवाचक/क्रमवाचक (adverb: from the east/previously)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākuṇḍa (south of Āditya); Duṃdubhi-tīrtha (east)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed implicitly by narrative frame; explicit in next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara speaks, indicating directions: an Āditya shrine/marker, a pond to its south, and the Duṃdubhi tīrtha to the east—like a sacred map unfolding in speech.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Yamunā
• Āditya (Sūrya)
• Kuṇḍa
• Duṃdubhi (tīrtha/place-name)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine narratives also function as pilgrimage-guides, marking sacred coordinates where grace becomes accessible through tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Yamunodbheda spot in Prabhāsakṣetra, along with a kuṇḍa south of Āditya and the Duṃdubhi tīrtha to the east.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not directly; the verse provides sacred topography that supports later acts like snāna and offerings.