Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तच्छ्रुत्वा प्रस्थितो ब्रह्मा ज्येष्ठकुण्डतटं शुभम् । गायत्र्या सहितो हृष्टः कृतकृत्यत्वमागतः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tacchrutvā prasthito brahmā jyeṣṭhakuṇḍataṭaṃ śubham | gāyatryā sahito hṛṣṭaḥ kṛtakṛtyatvamāgataḥ

Translation

苏多说道：听闻此言，梵天（Brahmā）便启程前往吉耶什塔池（Jyeṣṭha-kuṇḍa）那吉祥的岸边。偕同伽耶特丽（Gāyatrī），他心生欢喜，仿佛已圆满所当作之事。

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (सूत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; अर्थः—श्रुत्वा (having heard)

• prasthitaḥ: set out, departed
• prasthitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + sthita (प्र + स्थित प्रातिपदिक; √sthā)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे (set out)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (ब्रह्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• jyeṣṭa: Jyeṣṭha (name: elder)
• jyeṣṭa: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jyeṣṭha (ज्येष्ठ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; विशेषण (eldest/great)

• kuṇḍa: pond, basin
• kuṇḍa: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṇḍa (कुण्ड प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासमध्यपद

• taṭam: the bank (of Jyeṣṭha-kuṇḍa)
• taṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taṭa (तट प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ज्येष्ठकुण्डस्य तटम्)

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (शुभ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (taṭam)

• gāyatryā: with Gāyatrī
• gāyatryā: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (गायत्री प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• sahitaḥ: accompanied
• sahitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (सहित प्रातिपदिक; √sah)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सहार्थे (accompanied)

• hṛṣṭaḥ: delighted
• hṛṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛṣṭa (हृष्ट प्रातिपदिक; √hṛṣ)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• kṛta: done
• kṛta: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृत प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद

• kṛtyatvam: the state of having accomplished one’s duty
• kṛtyatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛtyatva (कृत्यत्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भाव (कृतं कृत्यं यस्य भावः)

• āgataḥ: attained, reached
• āgataḥ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + gata (आ + गत प्रातिपदिक; √gam)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अर्थः—प्राप्तः (having attained)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jyeṣṭha-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as Brahmā, four-faced and radiant, travels toward the auspicious bank of Jyeṣṭha-kuṇḍa; beside him stands Gāyatrī Devī, luminous and serene, holding a rosary and Vedic symbol, as the landscape brightens.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Brahmā
• Gāyatrī
• Jyeṣṭha-kuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest deity honors tīrthas—showing that sacred places and dharmic rites are universally venerable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jyeṣṭha-kuṇḍa (associated with Jyeṣṭhapuṣkara) and its auspicious riverbank/shore.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse frames the pilgrimage movement toward the kuṇḍa, preparing the context for the forthcoming snāna rites.