Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

प्रयागादपि गंगाया गयायाश्च विशेषतः । कूपेस्मिन्नधिकं स्नानं मया नारद कीर्तितम्

Transliteration

prayāgādapi gaṃgāyā gayāyāśca viśeṣataḥ | kūpesminnadhikaṃ snānaṃ mayā nārada kīrtitam

Translation

“即便胜过普拉雅伽（Prayāga）、恒河（Gaṅgā），尤其胜过伽耶（Gayā）——在此井中沐浴更为殊胜。我已如此宣示于你，哦那罗陀（Nārada）。”

Word by Word

• प्रयागात्: from Prayāga
• प्रयागात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• गङ्गायाः: from the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• गयायाः: from Gayā
• गयायाः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

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

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कूपे: in the well
• कूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अधिकम्: greater/more
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; तुलनार्थक-विशेषण (comparative sense)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agentive-instr./करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• कीर्तितम्: has been declared/praised
• कीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Devī (addressing Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūpa-tīrtha (sacred well) of the Gupta-kṣetra under Kumāreśa/Guha’s lordship

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctified stone-lined well within a forested or temple precinct; sages and pilgrims approach with water pots; subtle divine radiance rises from the well as Nārada listens to the proclamation of its superiority over Prayāga, Gaṅgā, and Gayā.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Prayāga
• Gaṅgā
• Gayā
• Rudrāṇī-kūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas often rank tīrthas to guide pilgrims toward especially potent sites for purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rudrāṇī-kūpa, declared superior for bathing even compared to Prayāga, Gaṅgā, and Gayā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in the well as a high-merit pilgrimage act.