Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

समुदाये च देवानां सर्वतीर्थानि पार्थिव । क्षेत्राण्युप स्थितान्येव वनान्युपवनानि च

Transliteration

samudāye ca devānāṃ sarvatīrthāni pārthiva | kṣetrāṇyupa sthitānyeva vanānyupavanāni ca

Translation

„O König, als die Götter sich versammelten, waren auch alle Tīrthas dort zugegen—ebenso die heiligen Kṣetras, Wälder und geweihten Haine.“

Word by Word

• समुदाये: in the assembly/gathering
• समुदाये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुदाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

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

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

• सर्वतीर्थानि: all the sacred places
• सर्वतीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक) → पार्थिव (तद्धित-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• क्षेत्राणि: holy fields/regions
• क्षेत्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन

• उपस्थितानि: present/assembled
• उपस्थितानि: Karta (as qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + स्था (धातु) → उपस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त; क्षेत्राणि इति विशेष्य

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• वनानि: forests
• वनानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन

• उपवनानि: groves
• उपवनानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचन

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

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Brahmā continuing the account to Indra, with the king addressed in framing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-tīrtha-sannipāta (conceptual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva / nṛpa (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods assemble; behind them, a visionary panorama appears: rivers as personified goddesses, famous ghāṭas, peaks, caves, and temples all ‘standing present’ as symbolic forms; forests and sacred groves encircle the assembly like a living mandala.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Tīrthas
• Kṣetras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness is not merely local—divine presence can gather all tīrthas and kṣetras together, emphasizing reverence for sacred geography as a living reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks collectively of ‘all tīrthas’ rather than naming one; within Arbuda Khaṇḍa, the broader sanctity of the Arbuda region is being framed through this universal gathering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it establishes a māhātmya setting by declaring the presence of tīrthas, kṣetras, forests, and groves.