Skanda Purana: illustrated cover of the Vedapath edition
Skanda Purana: illustrated cover of the Vedapath edition
MahapuranaPilgrimageTirtha Mahatmya

Skanda Purana in German

स्कन्दपुराण

The Largest Mahapurana

The most extensive of the eighteen Mahapuranas: a vast compendium of sacred geography, tirtha mahatmya, pilgrimage lore, and devotional narratives spanning the length and breadth of Bharatavarsha.

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About This Book

The Skanda Purana is the largest of the eighteen Mahapuranas, traditionally attributed to Vyasa and narrated by Skanda (Kartikeya) to the sages. With 92,067 verses organized across seven Khandas and twenty-six Sections, it is an encyclopedic guide to India's sacred landscape, celebrating tirthas, temples, rivers, and mountains from Kedarnath to Rameswaram, from Kashi to Somnath.

How This Book Is Organised

The Skanda Purana is structured across seven Khandas, each containing multiple Sections.

Khandas

Seven major divisions

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Sections

26 thematic sections

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Adhyayas

1,731 chapters

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Shlokas

92,067 verses

Available Reading Features

Sanskrit

Original Sanskrit verses (Devanagari)

Transliteration

Transliteration for guided reading

Meanings

Word-by-word meanings

Translations

Clear, faithful translations

Enrichment

Tirtha mahatmya, pilgrimage context, and sacred geography

Khandas of the Skanda Purana

The Skanda Purana is traditionally divided into seven Khandas.
Each Khanda celebrates the sacred geography of a distinct region of Bharatavarsha.

Skanda Purana - Maheshvara Khanda

Maheshvara Khanda

The Section of Mahesvara (Shiva)

Im groß angelegten Kompendium des Skanda-Purāṇa, das traditionell zum puranischen Korpus von 81.000 Versen gezählt wird, fungiert das Māheśvara-Khaṇḍa als ein śivazentrierter theologischer sowie rituell-ethischer Bezugsrahmen.

ShivaKedaraArunachala
Skanda Purana - Vaishnava Khanda

Vaishnava Khanda

The Section of Vishnu

Der Vaiṣṇava-Khaṇḍa des Skanda-Purāṇa ist ein umfangreicher, vaiṣṇavisch geprägter Lehr- und Pilgerkorpus, der heilige Geographie als gelebte Verlängerung von bhakti, dharma und heilbringender Erinnerung entfaltet.

VishnuPurushottamaAvatara
Skanda Purana - Brahma Khanda

Brahma Khanda

The Section of Brahma

Im weiten enzyklopädischen Gefüge des Skanda-Purāṇa, das traditionell zu den großen purānischen Verskorpora gezählt wird, fungiert das Brahma Khaṇḍa als lehrmäßiges und erzählerisches Eingangstor.

BrahmaSetubandhaDharmaranya
Skanda Purana - Kashi Khanda

Kashi Khanda

The Section on Kashi (Varanasi)

Die Kāśī-Khaṇḍa der Skanda-Purāṇa entfaltet eine fortlaufende theologische Unterweisung über Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) als paradigmatische heilige Landschaft, in der rituelles Handeln, ethische Disziplin und auf Befreiung ausgerichtete Metaphysik zusammenlaufen.

KashiVaranasiMoksha
Skanda Purana - Avantya Khanda

Avantya Khanda

The Section on Avanti (Ujjain)

Die Avantīkhaṇḍa der Skanda-Purāṇa wirkt als regional-theologisches Kompendium, das Avanti—mit Ujjayinī/Avantī im Mittelpunkt—als heilige Landschaft entfaltet, in der Pilgerfahrt, rituelle Praxis und Lehrunterweisung zusammenlaufen.

AvantiUjjainMahakaleshwar
Skanda Purana - Nagara Khanda

Nagara Khanda

The Section on Nagara

Die Nāgarakhaṇḍa erscheint im Gesamtgefüge des Skanda Purāṇa als heilige Topographie: Lehre wird durch Orte erschlossen.

NagaraGujaratHatkeshwar
Skanda Purana - Prabhasa Khanda

Prabhasa Khanda

The Section on Prabhasa

Die Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa erscheint innerhalb des Skanda Purāṇa als eine heilige Geographie (tīrtha-māhātmya) und zugleich als theologischer Atlas.

PrabhasaSomnathDvaraka

Key episodes

  1. Arunachala: The Hill That Is a Pillar of Fire

    Mahesvara Khanda, Arunachala Mahatmya and Arunachala Mahatmya (Uttarardha)

    With Sanaka, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

  2. Srinivasa and Padmavati (Venkateswara's Wedding)

    Vishnu Khanda, Venkatachala Mahatmya, adhyayas 3-8

    With Akasharaja, Dharani, Padmavati, Srinivasa, Narada, Bakulamalika and Varaha

  3. King Indradyumna and the Image of Jagannath

    Vishnu Khanda, Purushottama Jagannatha Mahatmya, adhyayas 7-19

    With Indradyumna, Vidyapati, Nilamadhava, Narada and Jaimini

Tirthas of the Skanda Purana

  • Arunachala / ArunagiriAruṇācala / Aruṇagiri (Tiruvaṇṇāmalai)

    Mahesvara Khanda

  • Ayodhya-kshetraAyodhyā-kṣetra (Sāketa/Ayodhyā as paradigmatic Vaiṣṇava kṣetra)

    Vishnu Khanda

  • GokarnaGokarṇa (Gokarṇa-kṣetra / Mahābaleśvara-liṅga sphere; as the core Śaiva locus)

    Brahma Khanda

  • Kashi (Varanasi) as Avimukta-kshetraKāśī (Vārāṇasī) as Avimukta-kṣetra

    Kashi Khanda

  • Avanti-kshetraAvantī-kṣetra (Ujjayinī / Ujjain)

    Avanti Khanda

  • Chamatkarapura pilgrimage nodeCamatkārapura pilgrimage node

    Nagara Khanda

  • Vastrapatha-kshetraVastrāpatha-kṣetra

    Prabhasa Khanda

  • ArunachaleshvaraAruṇācaleśvara (liṅga-presence associated with the mountain)

    Mahesvara Khanda

  • Sarayu-nadiSarayū-nadī (Ayodhyā riverfront tīrtha-field)

    Vishnu Khanda

  • Vishveshvara / VishvanathaViśveśvara / Viśvanātha (central liṅga complex)

    Kashi Khanda

  • Ujjayini sacred circuitUjjayinī sacred circuit (kṣetra-parikramā)

    Avanti Khanda

  • Hatakeshvara / Achaleshvara Shiva-linga siteHaṭakeśvara / Acaleśvara Śiva-liṅga site

    Nagara Khanda

  • Raivatakamountain tīrtha

    Prabhasa Khanda

  • Tejas-stambha / Agni-stambha paradigm localized at ArunachalaTejas-stambha / Agni-stambha paradigm localized at Aruṇācala (pillar-of-light theology)

    Mahesvara Khanda

  • Ayodhya-ghata circuitsAyodhyā-ghāṭa circuits (riverbank bathing and darśana sequence nodes)

    Vishnu Khanda

  • Ganga in KashiGaṅgā in Kāśī (ghāṭa-centered tīrtha network)

    Kashi Khanda

  • Surya-associated tirthas within AvantiSūrya-associated tīrthas within Avanti (solar worship nodes)

    Avanti Khanda

  • SuvarnarekhaSuvarṇarekhā (river/stream tīrtha)

    Prabhasa Khanda

  • GiripradakshinaGiripradakṣiṇā (circumambulation circuit around Aruṇācala as a tīrtha-practice)

    Mahesvara Khanda

  • Suryavamsha-smriti-sthanasSūryavaṃśa-smṛti-sthānas (Solar Dynasty memorial-sacred nodes within Ayodhyā’s landscape)

    Vishnu Khanda

  • ManikarnikaMaṇikarṇikā (cremation and liberation locus)

    Kashi Khanda

  • Shiva-adjacent and Vaishnava-adjacent shrines integrated into the Avanti mapŚiva-adjacent and Vaiṣṇava-adjacent shrines integrated into the Avanti map

    Avanti Khanda

  • PrabhasaPrabhāsa (as the khanda’s overarching sacred field)

    Prabhasa Khanda

  • Rama-smriti-sthanasRāma-smṛti-sthānas (Rāma-centered devotional nodes integrated into pilgrimage movement)

    Vishnu Khanda

  • DashashvamedhaDaśāśvamedha (major ghāṭa and ritual hub)

    Kashi Khanda

  • Named bathing-ghatas and sanctified waters tied to phalashruti recitationsNamed bathing-ghāṭas and sanctified waters tied to phalaśruti recitations

    Avanti Khanda

  • AnnapurnaAnnapūrṇā (food-giving Śakti within Kāśī’s Śaiva frame)

    Kashi Khanda

  • KalabhairavaKālabhairava (kṣetrapāla/guardian of Kāśī)

    Kashi Khanda

  • Panchakroshi-yatra circuitPañcakrośī-yātrā circuit (circumambulatory sacred route)

    Kashi Khanda

  • Narmada tirtha-regionNarmadā tīrtha-region (introductory excursus)

    Kashi Khanda

  • Vindhya range tirthasVindhya range tīrthas (introductory excursus)

    Kashi Khanda

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