Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अथ वस्त्रापथे क्षेत्रे संति तीर्थानि कोटिशः । तथापि सारं ते वच्मि सर्वतीर्थमहोदयम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | atha vastrāpathe kṣetre saṃti tīrthāni koṭiśaḥ | tathāpi sāraṃ te vacmi sarvatīrthamahodayam

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Nun gibt es im Kṣetra von Vastrāpatha Tīrthas in Krores; dennoch will ich dir das Wesentliche sagen — die große Quelle des Heils und der Gunst aller Tīrthas.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequence/beginning particle)

• वस्त्रापथे: in Vastrāpatha
• वस्त्रापथे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्रापथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—वस्त्र + पथ (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः, स्थाननाम)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• सन्ति: are/exist
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

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

• कोटिशः: by crores; in millions
• कोटिशः: Visheshana (Quantifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; शस्-प्रत्ययान्त (distributive/adverbial)

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संयोजक (concessive: ‘nevertheless’)

• सारम्: essence
• सारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• ते: to you/your
• ते: Sampradana/Relation (to you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वच्मि: I tell/speak
• वच्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• सर्वतीर्थमहोदयम्: the great rise/benefit of all tīrthas
• सर्वतीर्थमहोदयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ + महोदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वतीर्थस्य महोदयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha (all-tīrtha-mahodayam—‘great source of auspiciousness of all tīrthas’)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara speaks, gesturing over a sacred map-like landscape of Vastrāpatha filled with countless tīrthas, while a single radiant focal tīrtha shines as the ‘essence’.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Vastrāpatha-kṣetra
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among many sacred options, the Purāṇa highlights an essential focus-point—encouraging concentrated devotion rather than mere enumeration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra as a vast tīrtha-landscape containing innumerable holy spots.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the verse introduces a teaching that will identify the ‘sāra’ (core) among the tīrthas.