Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सर्वेषामेव देवानां संति तीर्थानि भूतले । मुक्त्वा मां तन्मया कार्यं तीर्थमेकं धरातले

Transliteration

sarveṣāmeva devānāṃ saṃti tīrthāni bhūtale | muktvā māṃ tanmayā kāryaṃ tīrthamekaṃ dharātale

Translation

(Er sann nach:) „Wahrlich, alle Götter haben auf Erden ihre heiligen Tīrthas; nur ich bin ohne eines. Darum soll auf der Erde ein einziges Tīrtha errichtet werden, mir geweiht.“

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• सन्ति: there are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

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

• भूतले: on the earth
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• मुक्त्वा: having left/excepting
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• तन्मया: consisting of that / of that nature
• तन्मया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘तद्-मय’ = तेन मयम्/तद्रूपम्; agrees with कार्यम्

• कार्यम्: a task, something to be done
• कार्यम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक from √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate noun

• तीर्थम्: a tīrtha (sacred place)
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here as appositional/predicate with कार्यम्

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with तीर्थम्

• धरातले: on the earth's surface
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

Speaker

Sūta (narrating Brahmā’s thought/resolve)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmā’s earthly tīrtha (source of Brāhmī Mahāśilā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā declares his intention: a visionary tableau shows multiple deities each with their earthly tīrtha, while Brahmā points toward Earth, indicating the establishment of a single Brahmā-dedicated tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Tīrthas
• Earth (Bhūtala/Dharātala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are framed as divine gifts for the welfare of beings, and their origins are tied to purposeful cosmic intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It foreshadows a Brahmā-connected tīrtha, ultimately explaining the ‘Brāhmī’ Mahāśilā and its sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is foundational: the establishment/creation of a tīrtha on earth devoted to Brahmā.