Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

शक्रेशं सोमतीर्थं च नन्दाह्रदमनुत्तमम् । वैष्णवं चक्रतीर्थं च रामकेशवसंज्ञितम्

Transliteration

śakreśaṃ somatīrthaṃ ca nandāhradamanuttamam | vaiṣṇavaṃ cakratīrthaṃ ca rāmakeśavasaṃjñitam

Translation

(সেখানে) শক্রেশ, সোমতীর্থ এবং অনুত্তম নন্দা-হ্রদ (সরোবর) আছে। (সেখানে) বৈষ্ণব চক্রতীর্থও আছে, যা রাম-কেশব নামে খ্যাত।

Word by Word

• शक्रेशम्: Śakreśa (name)
• शक्रेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शक्रस्य ईशः)

• सोमतीर्थम्: Soma-tīrtha
• सोमतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य तीर्थम्)

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

• नन्दाह्रदम्: Nandā-hrada (lake of Nandā; name)
• नन्दाह्रदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दा (प्रातिपदिक) + ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नन्दायाः ह्रदः)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भानुसार), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अतिश्रेष्ठम्)

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava; pertaining to Viṣṇu
• वैष्णवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विष्णोः सम्बन्धि)

• चक्रतीर्थम्: Cakra-tīrtha
• चक्रतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चक्रस्य तीर्थम्)

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

• रामकेशवसंज्ञितम्: called Rāma-Keśava
• रामकेशवसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + केशव (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा (धातु) + सम्-उपसर्ग, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-विशेषणम् (named/called); तत्पुरुषः (रामकेशव-इति संज्ञितम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somatīrtha; Nandā-hrada; Cakratīrtha (Rāma-Keśava)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil lake (Nandā-hrada) with lotus blooms and moonlight sheen; nearby a shrine to Śakreśa with Indra’s banner; Somatīrtha with a crescent emblem; and Cakratīrtha where a radiant Sudarśana chakra appears above the water, with Rāma and Keśava names inscribed on a temple lintel.

Characters & Entities

• Śakreśa
• Somatīrtha
• Nandā-hrada
• Cakratīrtha
• Viṣṇu (Vaiṣṇava)
• Rāma
• Keśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic pilgrimage embraces both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava sanctuaries, presenting a unified sacred ecology of tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somatīrtha and the Vaiṣṇava Cakratīrtha (Rāma-Keśava) are highlighted, along with Śakreśa and Nandā-hrada.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; Nandā-hrada and Somatīrtha contextually suggest snāna (sacred bathing), while Cakratīrtha suggests Vaiṣṇava worship.