Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

गंगाद्यानि च तीर्थानि केदाराद्या दिवौकसः । मया सह पुरा देवाः शक्राद्या नृपसत्तमाः

Transliteration

gaṃgādyāni ca tīrthāni kedārādyā divaukasaḥ | mayā saha purā devāḥ śakrādyā nṛpasattamāḥ

Translation

„Die Tīrthas, beginnend mit der Gaṅgā, und die himmlischen Wesen, die mit den Stätten beginnend mit Kedāra verbunden sind—einst waren die Götter unter Führung Śakras (Indra) bei mir, o Bester der Könige.“

Word by Word

• गङ्गाद्यानि: beginning with the Ganga
• गङ्गाद्यानि: Karma (as qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन; ‘गङ्गा-आदि’ इति समास, तीर्थानि इति विशेष्य

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन

• केदाराद्याः: beginning with (those at) Kedara
• केदाराद्याः: Karta (as qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केदार + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), बहुवचन; ‘केदार-आदि’ इति समास, दिवौकसः/देवाः इति विशेष्य

• दिवौकसः: heaven-dwellers (gods)
• दिवौकसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), बहुवचन; ‘दिवि ओकः यस्य’ इत्यर्थे (heaven-dwellers)

• मया: by me/with me (as agent)
• मया: Sahakari/Karana (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), बहुवचन

• शक्राद्याः: beginning with Indra
• शक्राद्याः: Karta (as qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), बहुवचन; ‘शक्र-आदि’ इति समास, देवाः इति विशेष्य

• नृपसत्तमाः: best of kings (epithet)
• नृपसत्तमाः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (contextual epithet)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā and Kedāra-associated tīrthas (collective)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yayāti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya recalls an earlier time when he was accompanied by Indra and the gods, moving among famed tīrthas like Gaṅgā and Kedāra-linked sites—suggesting a celestial pilgrimage procession.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Tīrtha
• Kedāra
• Devas
• Śakra (Indra)
• Pulastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are portrayed as cosmic institutions—tīrthas and devas together sustain dharma, making pilgrimage part of a larger sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-tīrthas and Kedāra (as a leading sacred locus) are invoked as central reference points.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it introduces the divine assembly and the sacred geography framework.