Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

शैवान्येतानि तीर्थानि वैष्णवानि च सत्तमाः । शृणुध्वं प्रोच्यमानानि ब्राह्मशाक्तानि च क्रमात्

Transliteration

śaivānyetāni tīrthāni vaiṣṇavāni ca sattamāḥ | śṛṇudhvaṃ procyamānāni brāhmaśāktāni ca kramāt

Translation

হে সজ্জনশ্রেষ্ঠগণ! এগুলি শৈব তীর্থ এবং বৈষ্ণব তীর্থও। এখন ক্রমানুসারে ব্রাহ্ম (ব্রহ্মা-সম্পর্কিত) ও শাক্ত (দেবী-সম্পর্কিত) তীর্থের বর্ণনা শোনো।

Word by Word

• शैवानि: Śaiva (pertaining to Śiva)
• शैवानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तीर्थानि: tīrthas
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• वैष्णवानि: Vaiṣṇava (pertaining to Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

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

• सत्तमाः: O best ones
• सत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (8th/1st), बहुवचन; उत्तम-विशेषणरूपेण ‘श्रेष्ठाः’

• शृणुध्वम्: listen (you all)
• शृणुध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• प्रोच्यमानानि: being described/being spoken
• प्रोच्यमानानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्मणि शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; ‘उच्यमानानि’

• ब्राह्मशाक्तानि: Brāhma and Śākta (types)
• ब्राह्मशाक्तानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म-शाक्त (प्रातिपदिक; ब्राह्म + शाक्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (ब्राह्माणि च शाक्तानि च)

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

• क्रमात्: in order/ क्रमशः
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; तसिल्-अर्थे अव्यय (adverbial ablative: ‘in order/ क्रमशः’)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate narrative context of Revā Khaṇḍa; explicit speaker appears at 231.32)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha categories (Śaiva/Vaiṣṇava/Brāhma/Śākta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sattamāḥ / dvijas (virtuous brahmin audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred map divided into four devotional streams—Śaiva, Vaiṣṇava, Brāhma, Śākta—while the sage instructs listeners to hear the ordered description.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Śakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is multi-devotional: the Revā/Narmadā tīrthas honor Śiva, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and Śakti, encouraging inclusive pilgrimage rooted in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces the ordered listing of Revā/Narmadā tīrthas by deity-association.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the instruction is to listen to the sequential description of the tīrthas.