Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तदेव भूमिविवरं गयातीर्थं प्रचक्षते । एवमेतन्महापुण्यं तीर्थत्रयमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

tadeva bhūmivivaraṃ gayātīrthaṃ pracakṣate | evametanmahāpuṇyaṃ tīrthatrayamanuttamam

Translation

Ebendiese Öffnung in der Erde nennt man „Gayā-tīrtha“. So ist diese unvergleichlich verdienstvolle, höchst heilige Dreiheit der Tīrthas von großer Kraft.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman/Viśeṣya (That)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed; itself
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• भूमिविवरम्: the earth-fissure
• भूमिविवरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूमेः विवरम् = ‘hole of the earth’)

• गयातीर्थम्: Gayā-tīrtha
• गयातीर्थम्: Karman (Object/Name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गयायाः तीर्थम्)

• प्रचक्षते: they call/declare
• प्रचक्षते: Kriyā (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural); आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग: प्र-

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb: thus)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣya (Subject/This)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम

• महापुण्यम्: greatly meritorious; very holy
• महापुण्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), एकवचन (singular); कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् पुण्यम् = ‘very holy/meritorious’); विशेषण (of एतत्/तीर्थत्रयम्)

• तीर्थत्रयम्: the three tīrthas (triad)
• तीर्थत्रयम्: Viśeṣya (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), एकवचन (singular); द्विगु-समास (त्रयाणि तीर्थानि = ‘a triad of tīrthas’)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed; supreme
• अनुत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā-tīrtha (within the tri-tīrtha)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred earth-opening marked as Gayā-tīrtha; in the background, the other two tīrthas are indicated, forming a triad crowned by a radiant ‘mahāpuṇya’ aura.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Yamunā
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage sites are channels of mahāpuṇya; honoring the triad of tīrthas supports purification and dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā-tīrtha is named, and the collective greatness of the three tīrthas (Yamunā, Gaṅgā, Gayā) is affirmed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse functions as a māhātmya-assertion encouraging pilgrimage, snāna, and reverent remembrance.