Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

यथांतरं द्विजश्रेष्ठ भूपेत्वितरसेवके । दृष्टांतमात्रं कथितं प्रयागेतर तीर्थयोः

Transliteration

yathāṃtaraṃ dvijaśreṣṭha bhūpetvitarasevake | dṛṣṭāṃtamātraṃ kathitaṃ prayāgetara tīrthayoḥ

Translation

O best of brāhmaṇas, just as there is a vast difference between a king and one who serves another, so too—only by way of illustration—is the difference between Prayāga and other tīrthas described.

Word by Word

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• अन्तरम्: difference
• अन्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—श्रेष्ठः द्विजः (कर्मधारयः)

• भूपे: in a king
• भूपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• इव: like/as
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• इतरसेवके: in a servant of another
• इतरसेवके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर + सेवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—इतरस्य सेवकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• दृष्टान्तमात्रम्: only an illustration
• दृष्टान्तमात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टान्त + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—दृष्टान्त एव मात्रम् (तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयार्थः)

• कथितम्: has been stated
• कथितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (it has been said)

• प्रयागेतर: other than Prayaga
• प्रयागेतर: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयाग + इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समासाङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः; ‘प्रयागात् इतर’ (other than Prayaga) — अत्र ‘तीर्थयोः’ इति षष्ठी-द्विवचनस्य विशेषणम्

• तीर्थयोः: of (the two) tirthas
• तीर्थयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (Tīrtharāja)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-śreṣṭha (addressed brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: Prayāga personified as a crowned king seated above, while other tīrthas appear as respectful attendants; the confluence glows behind the kingly figure.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are not equal in potency; Prayāga is portrayed as sovereign among tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga, elevated above other pilgrimage sites by a king-versus-servant analogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is doctrinal, establishing relative greatness (māhātmya) rather than prescribing a rite.