Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

एवं त्रिभिर्हेतुवरैर्ममेवार्घः प्रदीयताम् । गुणैकदेशेऽपि समं मम तीर्थं न वै परम्

Transliteration

evaṃ tribhirhetuvarairmamevārghaḥ pradīyatām | guṇaikadeśe'pi samaṃ mama tīrthaṃ na vai param

Translation

So soll aus diesen drei vortrefflichen Gründen das argha nur mir dargebracht werden. Selbst in einem kleinsten Teil der Vorzüge ist kein anderes tīrtha meinem gleich — geschweige denn überlegen.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner)

• त्रिभिः: by three
• त्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Instrumental, Plural; विशेषणम् (हेतुवरैः)

• हेतु-वरैः: by excellent reasons
• हेतु-वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (वराः हेतवः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• मम: of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

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

• अर्घः: honour/valuation (argha)
• अर्घः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रदीयताम्: let (it) be given
• प्रदीयताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be given’

• गुण-एक-देशे: in even a single part of merit
• गुण-एक-देशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (एकदेशः गुणानाम्/गुणस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/also)

• समम्: equal(ly)
• समम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (equally)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed/emphasis)

• परम्: higher/superior
• परम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; विधेय-विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

Speaker

Tīrtharāja (Mahīsāgara-saṅgama personified)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A personified ‘King of Tīrthas’ speaks before an assembly, insisting that arghya be offered to him alone, while other tīrthas listen in tense silence.

Characters & Entities

• Mahīsāgara-saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha-mahātmya teaches graded sanctity: certain sites are upheld as uniquely efficacious and thus deserve foremost honor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahīsāgara-saṅgama, asserted to be unequaled even by a portion of its virtues.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering argha specifically to this tīrtha is prescribed as the proper act of reverence.