Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

नैमिषं च कुरुक्षेत्रं गंगाद्वारमवंतिका । अयोध्या मथुरा चैव द्वारकाप्यमरावती

Transliteration

naimiṣaṃ ca kurukṣetraṃ gaṃgādvāramavaṃtikā | ayodhyā mathurā caiva dvārakāpyamarāvatī

Translation

وكذلك نيميṣa (Naimiṣa) وكوروكشيترا (Kurukṣetra)؛ وغانغادفارا (Gaṅgādvāra/هاريدفارا) وأفانتيكا (Avantikā/أوجّاييني)؛ وأيودھيا (Ayodhyā) وماثورا (Mathurā)؛ وأيضًا دواركا (Dvārakā) وأمارافاتي (Amarāvatī)—كلّها مشاهدُ مقدّسةٌ مشهورةٌ متّصلةٌ بالتحرّر.»

Word by Word

• नैमिषम्: Naimiṣa (Naimiṣāraṇya)
• नैमिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तीर्थनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• गंगाद्वारम्: Gaṅgādvāra (Haridvāra)
• गंगाद्वारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गङ्गायाः द्वारम्)

• अवंतिका: Avantikā (Ujjayinī)
• अवंतिका: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवंतिका/अवन्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नगरनाम

• अयोध्या: Ayodhyā
• अयोध्या: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नगरनाम

• मथुरा: Mathurā
• मथुरा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नगरनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (indeed/just)

• द्वारका: Dvārakā
• द्वारका: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नगरनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also)

• अमरावती: Amarāvatī
• अमरावती: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमरावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नगरनाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣa; Kurukṣetra; Gaṅgādvāra; Avantikā; Ayodhyā; Mathurā; Dvārakā; Amarāvatī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-listener (often Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ‘garland of tīrthas’ montage: forest hermitages of Naimiṣa, the wide plains of Kurukṣetra, Gaṅgā descending at Haridvāra, Ujjain’s Śaiva skyline, Ayodhyā’s royal ghāṭs, Mathurā’s Yamunā banks, Dvārakā’s sea-walls, and a faint celestial Amarāvatī above.

Characters & Entities

• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Kurukṣetra
• Gaṅgādvāra (Haridvāra)
• Avantikā (Ujjain)
• Ayodhyā
• Mathurā
• Dvārakā
• Amarāvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames India’s sacred landscape as a network of muktisthānas where pilgrimage supports dharma and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Multiple: Naimiṣa, Kurukṣetra, Haridvāra, Ujjain, Ayodhyā, Mathurā, Dvārakā, and Amarāvatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual is specified; the implication is tīrtha-yātrā and customary practices like snāna, darśana, and dāna at these sites.