Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

रुद्रावर्ते गयायां च वाराणस्यां विशेषतः । गङ्गाद्वारे प्रयागे च गङ्गासागरसङ्गमे

Transliteration

rudrāvarte gayāyāṃ ca vārāṇasyāṃ viśeṣataḥ | gaṅgādvāre prayāge ca gaṅgāsāgarasaṅgame

Translation

—in Rudrāvarta, in Gayā und besonders in Vārāṇasī; in Gaṅgādvāra (Haridvāra), in Prayāga und an der Vereinigung der Gaṅgā mit dem Ozean (Gaṅgā-sāgara).

Word by Word

• रुद्रावर्ते: at Rudrāvarta
• रुद्रावर्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (रुद्रस्य आवर्तः)

• गयायाम्: at Gayā
• गयायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

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

• वाराणस्याम्: at Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विशेषणार्थक (adverb: 'especially')

• गङ्गाद्वारे: at Gaṅgādvāra (Haridvāra)
• गङ्गाद्वारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः द्वारम्)

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

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

• गङ्गासागरसङ्गमे: at the confluence of the Gaṅgā and the ocean
• गङ्गासागरसङ्गमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + सागर + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः सागरे सङ्गमः / गङ्गा-सागरयोः सङ्गमः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pan-Indian tīrtha-sāmya via Narmadā-carita

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s garland of tīrthas: sequential vignettes—Gayā with piṇḍa offerings, Kāśī with Viśvanātha spire, Haridwar ghats, Prayāga triveṇī, Gaṅgā-sāgara waves—linked by a flowing ribbon of sacred water symbolizing unified merit.

Characters & Entities

• Rudrāvarta
• Gayā
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Gaṅgādvāra (Haridvāra)
• Prayāga
• Gaṅgāsāgara
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa frames India’s major tīrthas as benchmarks of merit, highlighting the vast reach of dharma through sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Multiple famed tīrthas are named—especially Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)—as reference points for the merit being discussed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the verse functions as a tīrtha-catalog within the phalaśruti context.