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

“The tīrthas beginning with Gaṅgā, and the divine beings connected with places beginning with Kedāra—formerly, the gods led by Śakra were with me, O best of kings.”

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.