Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

नालभन्त श्रियं नाके मर्त्ये पातालगोचरे । कुरुक्षेत्रं गया गङ्गा नैमिषं पुष्करं तथा

Transliteration

nālabhanta śriyaṃ nāke martye pātālagocare | kurukṣetraṃ gayā gaṅgā naimiṣaṃ puṣkaraṃ tathā

Translation

স্বর্গে, মর্ত্যে বা পাতালের অঞ্চলেও তেমন আধ্যাত্মিক শ্রী লাভ হয় না; কুরুক্ষেত্র, গয়া, গঙ্গা, নৈমিষ ও পুষ্করও তার সমকক্ষ নয়।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• अलभन्त: obtained
• अलभन्त: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• श्रियम्: prosperity, fortune
• श्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नाके: in heaven
• नाके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• मर्त्ये: in the mortal world
• मर्त्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पातालगोचरे: in the realm of the netherworld
• पातालगोचरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाताल + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—पातालस्य गोचरः (पाताल-सम्बन्धी)

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्

• गया: Gayā
• गया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• नैमिषम्: Naimiṣa
• नैमिषम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पुष्करम्: Puṣkara
• पुष्करम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/conjunctional)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa kathā-frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Royal listener (Kuru lineage address continues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic triptych of heaven, earth, and netherworld shown as three bands; famous tīrthas appear as emblematic icons (dharma-chakra for Kurukṣetra, piṇḍa offerings for Gayā, flowing Gaṅgā, forest hermitage for Naimiṣa, lotus lake for Puṣkara) all dimmer than a blazing Ravitīrtha sunlit ghat.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Gayā
• Gaṅgā
• Naimiṣa
• Puṣkara
• Pātāla
• Svarga (Nāka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage merits are graded in Purāṇic dharma, and a specially praised tīrtha can surpass even the most famous pan-Indian sacred sites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a comparative preface; in this adhyāya the focal tīrtha is Ravitīrtha (introduced immediately after).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated here; it is a eulogy establishing the exceptional merit of the tīrtha.