Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तत्र सर्वाणि भूतानि सर्व तीर्थानि भागशः । तिष्ठंति सर्वतीर्थानि कैवल्यं ब्रह्म एव यः

Transliteration

tatra sarvāṇi bhūtāni sarva tīrthāni bhāgaśaḥ | tiṣṭhaṃti sarvatīrthāni kaivalyaṃ brahma eva yaḥ

Translation

„Darin verweilen alle Wesen und alle Tīrthas (heiligen Furten), ein jedes nach seinem Anteil. Dort sind auch alle Tīrthas gegenwärtig—ja, das ist Brahman selbst, der Zustand der Befreiung (Kaivalya).“

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भूतानि: beings
• भूतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्व: all/entire
• सर्व: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (as an indeclinable-like qualifier)

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भागशः: in parts/distributively
• भागशः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhāgaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: distributively/part by part)

• तिष्ठन्ति: stand/abide
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• सर्वतीर्थानि: all tīrthas
• सर्वतीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि तीर्थानि)

• कैवल्यम्: liberation (kaivalya)
• कैवल्यम्: Predicate nominal (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaivalya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Predicate nominal (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• यः: who/that which
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Praṇava (Oṃ) as Sarva-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary depiction: the syllable Oṃ as a vast cosmic reservoir containing innumerable beings and miniature tīrthas—rivers, ghats, temples—culminating in a radiant Brahman-light labeled kaivalya.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Brahman
• Kaivalya
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True pilgrimage is interiorized: the essence of all tīrthas and liberation is pointed to as residing in the supreme principle symbolized by Oṃ.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single named site; the verse universalizes tīrtha-merit by locating it in Praṇava/Brahman.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; it frames mantra-realization as equivalent to the fruit of many pilgrimages.