Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

तीर्थानां दर्शनं श्रेष्ठं स्नानं चैव सुरेश्वरि । श्रवणं च प्रशंसंति सदैव ऋषिसत्तमाः

Transliteration

tīrthānāṃ darśanaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ snānaṃ caiva sureśvari | śravaṇaṃ ca praśaṃsaṃti sadaiva ṛṣisattamāḥ

Translation

Among the tīrthas, their very sight is best; bathing there too, O Lady of the gods. And the foremost sages ever praise also the hearing of their glories.

Word by Word

• तीर्थानाम्: of tīrthas
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• दर्शनम्: seeing/visiting
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्रेष्ठम्: best
• श्रेष्ठम्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate to दर्शनम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• सुरेश्वरि: O Lady of the gods
• सुरेश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सुराणाम् ईश्वरी)

• श्रवणम्: hearing
• श्रवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• प्रशंसन्ति: praise
• प्रशंसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• ऋषिसत्तमाः: the best sages
• ऋषिसत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (ऋषयः सत्तमाः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sureśvarī/Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva teaches Devī the primacy of tīrtha-darśana, along with snāna and śravaṇa, while sages in the background affirm the teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Sureśvarī (Devī)
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage merit arises through three modes—darśana (seeing), snāna (bathing), and śravaṇa (hearing the tīrtha’s glory).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site; the verse states a general doctrine applicable to all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (visit), snāna (ritual bath), and śravaṇa (listening to māhātmya) are highlighted as praised practices.