Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

एकं गयाशिरो मुक्त्वा सर्वतीर्थानि भूपते । शूलभेदस्य तीर्थस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्

Transliteration

ekaṃ gayāśiro muktvā sarvatīrthāni bhūpate | śūlabhedasya tīrthasya kalāṃ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm

Translation

„O König, Gayāśiras allein ausgenommen, erreichen alle übrigen Tīrthas nicht einmal den sechzehnten Teil des Verdienstes des Śūlabheda-Tīrtha.“

Word by Word

• एकम्: one (single)
• एकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• गयाशिरः: Gayāśiras
• गयाशिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गयायाः शिरः)

• मुक्त्वा: having left, excepting
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having left/excepting’

• सर्वतीर्थानि: all holy places
• सर्वतीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि तीर्थानि)

• भूपते: O king
• भूपते: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• शूलभेदस्य: of Śūlabheda
• शूलभेदस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल + भेद (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शूलस्य भेदः)

• तीर्थस्य: of the tīrtha
• तीर्थस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• कलाम्: a fraction/part
• कलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Avyaya (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अर्हन्ति: are worthy of, equal
• अर्हन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• षोडशीम्: sixteenth
• षोडशीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कलाम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva emphatically proclaims the incomparable greatness of Śūlabheda to a king; behind them, a symbolic map-like vista of many tīrthas fading, while Śūlabheda shines brightest, with Gayā as the only peer.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Gayāśiras
• Śūlabheda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas rank certain tīrthas as exceptionally potent, guiding pilgrims toward places of concentrated merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda-tīrtha on the Revā bank, proclaimed of unsurpassed merit (with Gayāśiras acknowledged as uniquely comparable).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse emphasizes comparative tīrtha-mahima to inspire pilgrimage and worship.