Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

चतुष्पदानां सुरभिर्वर्णानां ब्राह्मणो यथा । प्रधानं सर्वतीर्थानां शुक्लतीर्थं तथा नृप

Transliteration

catuṣpadānāṃ surabhirvarṇānāṃ brāhmaṇo yathā | pradhānaṃ sarvatīrthānāṃ śuklatīrthaṃ tathā nṛpa

Translation

হে নৃপ! যেমন চতুষ্পদ প্রাণীদের মধ্যে সুরভি (কামধেনু) প্রধান, বর্ণগুলির মধ্যে ব্রাহ্মণ প্রধান; তেমনি সকল তীর্থের মধ্যে শুক্ততীর্থ প্রধান।

Word by Word

• चतुष्पदानाम्: of quadrupeds
• चतुष्पदानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुष्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (चत्वारः पादाः यस्य/येषां ते = quadrupeds)

• सुरभिः: Surabhi (the divine cow)
• सुरभिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वर्णानाम्: of the social classes (varṇas)
• वर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Connector (Upamā/यथा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानवाचक

• प्रधानम्: chief; foremost
• प्रधानम्: Predicate/Viśeṣaṇa (Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (शुक्लतीर्थम्)

• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: of all sacred fords
• सर्वतीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि तीर्थानि)

• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Connector (correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, यथा-तथा सम्बन्ध

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; addressing Yudhiṣṭhira as nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic triad: Surabhī (divine cow) radiating abundance; a dignified Brāhmaṇa performing sandhyā; and Śukla-tīrtha as a luminous ghat on Narmadā—each crowned/haloed to indicate 'chiefness' while a king listens.

Characters & Entities

• Surabhī
• Brāhmaṇa
• Śuklatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is graded by sanctity; the text asserts a hierarchy where Śuklatīrtha stands supreme among tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha, presented as the chief (pradhāna) among all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse functions as a eulogy establishing Śuklatīrtha’s primacy.