Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तीर्थानामष्टषष्टिश्च विशोकासङ्गमे स्थिता । तथा सहस्रं तीर्थानां संस्थितं वागुसङ्गमे

Transliteration

tīrthānāmaṣṭaṣaṣṭiśca viśokāsaṅgame sthitā | tathā sahasraṃ tīrthānāṃ saṃsthitaṃ vāgusaṅgame

Translation

Am Zusammenfluss der Viśokā befinden sich achtundsechzig heilige Tīrthas; ebenso wird am Zusammenfluss der Vāgu verkündet, dass tausend Tīrthas gegründet sind.

Word by Word

• तीर्थानाम्: of the tīrthas
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठीविभक्ति; बहुवचन

• अष्ट-षष्टिः: sixty-eight
• अष्ट-षष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या) + षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (अष्ट च षष्टिश्च = 68)

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

• विशोका-सङ्गमे: at the confluence of Viśokā
• विशोका-सङ्गमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशोका (प्रातिपदिक; नदी/स्थाननाम) + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमीविभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विशोकायाः सङ्गमः)

• स्थिता: is situated
• स्थिता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेषण-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘thus/also’)

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• तीर्थानाम्: of the tīrthas
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठीविभक्ति; बहुवचन

• संस्थितम्: is established
• संस्थितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेषण-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• वागु-सङ्गमे: at the confluence of Vāgu
• वागु-सङ्गमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वागु (प्रातिपदिक; नदी/स्थाननाम) + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमीविभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वागोः/वाग्वाः सङ्गमः; नामरूपेण वागु)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (as referenced in this adhyāya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśokā-saṅgama; Vāgu-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Viśokā confluence, a quiet scene with a pilgrim offering water and flowers, face softened as if relieved; at Vāgu confluence, a broader gathering with multiple small shrines/markers indicating many tīrthas.

Characters & Entities

• Viśokā
• Vāgu
• saṅgama
• tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic vision treats certain confluences as spiritually dense zones where many tīrthas are ‘present,’ magnifying the fruit of pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśokā-saṅgama and Vāgu-saṅgama, two confluence-tīrthas mapped in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription appears; the implication is tīrtha-sevā through snāna, dāna, and worship at these saṅgamas.