Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि दृष्टादृष्टानि नारद । तानि सर्वाणि तत्रैव निवसंति महीजले

Transliteration

pṛthivyāṃ yāni tīrthāni dṛṣṭādṛṣṭāni nārada | tāni sarvāṇi tatraiva nivasaṃti mahījale

Translation

O Nārada, welche Tīrthas es auf Erden auch gibt — gesehene oder ungesehene — sie alle wohnen dort selbst, in den Wassern der Mahī.

Word by Word

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यानि: which
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• तीर्थानि: sacred places/fords
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दृष्टादृष्टानि: seen and unseen
• दृष्टादृष्टानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट + अदृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (दृष्टानि च अदृष्टानि च); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (indeed)

• निवसन्ति: dwell, reside
• निवसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग-नि

• महीजले: in the earth-water (in that river/water)
• महीजले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मही-जलम् = पृथिव्याः जलम्/earth-water); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Bhṛgu (contextual, addressing Nārada explicitly)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī-jala (waters of Mahī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Mahī’s surface appears ordinary, but within it are faint, jewel-like visions of many tīrthas—miniature ghāṭas, liṅgas, viṣṇu footprints—some clear (dṛṣṭa), some veiled (adr̥ṣṭa).

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mahī (river)
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa emphasizes concentrated sanctity: one sacred locus can grant the merit of many pilgrimages through faith and proper practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahī-nadī, whose waters are said to contain all earthly tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated, but the verse supports the practice of tīrtha-sevana—especially bathing and worship at Mahī.