Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अक्षपादो महायोगी गौतमाख्योऽभवन्मुनिः । गोदावरीसमानेता अहल्यायाः पतिः प्रभुः

Transliteration

akṣapādo mahāyogī gautamākhyo'bhavanmuniḥ | godāvarīsamānetā ahalyāyāḥ patiḥ prabhuḥ

Translation

曾有一位大瑜伽行者，名为阿克沙跋陀（Akṣapāda），亦称乔达摩仙人（Gautama）；他是尊贵的主者，阿诃利耶（Ahalyā）之夫，并使戈达瓦丽河（Godāvarī）显现于世。

Word by Word

• अक्षपादः: Akṣapāda (name)
• अक्षपादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षपाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महायोगी: great yogin
• महायोगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गौतमाख्यः: named Gautama
• गौतमाख्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गौतम + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying Akṣapāda/muni)

• अभवत्: became, was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• गोदावरीसमानेता: one who brought (her) to the Godāvarī / who led to the Godāvarī
• गोदावरीसमानेता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोदावरी + सम् + नी (धातु) + तृ (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (कर्तरि तृच् प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘समानेता’ = सम्-नी धातोः कर्तृवाचकः (one who brings/led)

• अहल्यायाः: of Ahalyā
• अहल्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पतिः: husband, lord
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रभुः: master, powerful one
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Godāvarī (Gautama-sambandha)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuru-foremost (Kurūd-vaha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Portrait-like depiction of the great yogin Akṣapāda/Gautama with matted locks and ascetic radiance; Ahalyā nearby in reverent posture; the Godāvarī emerging as a goddess-river from a rocky spring or from Śiva’s grace, flowing toward the plains.

Characters & Entities

• Akṣapāda (Gautama)
• Gautama
• Godāvarī
• Ahalyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great sages shape sacred geography; their tapas and yogic power sanctify rivers and regions for the welfare of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse links the emerging māhātmya to the Godāvarī region and the sage Gautama, setting the stage for the Gautameśvara-liṅga’s sacred locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; it provides the foundational identity of Gautama for the forthcoming māhātmya.