Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । तीर्थस्यास्य कथं जातो महिमेदृङ्मुनीश्वर । रूपसौभाग्यदं येन तीर्थमेतद्ब्रवीहि मे

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | tīrthasyāsya kathaṃ jāto mahimedṛṅmunīśvara | rūpasaubhāgyadaṃ yena tīrthametadbravīhi me

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Ô seigneur des sages, comment une telle grandeur est-elle née pour ce tīrtha ? Dis-moi de ce lieu sacré, par lequel sont accordées beauté et bonne fortune.»

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तीर्थस्य: of the sacred ford
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘तीर्थस्य’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (of this)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (how)

• जातः: arisen, come to be
• जातः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘महिमा’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (born/arisen)

• महिमा: greatness, glory
• महिमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ईदृक्: such (of this kind)
• ईदृक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश्/ईदृक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनामसदृश विशेषण; ‘महिमा’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (such)

• मुनीश्वर: O lord of sages
• मुनीश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनीनां ईश्वरः)

• रूपसौभाग्यदम्: bestowing beauty and good fortune
• रूपसौभाग्यदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप + सौभाग्य + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध (रूपं च सौभाग्यं च ददाति इति) विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (by which)

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (this)

• ब्रवीहि: tell
• ब्रवीहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (to me/of me)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rukmiṇī-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, respectful and inquisitive, questions sage Mārkaṇḍeya about the origin of Rukmiṇī-tīrtha’s power; a narrative ‘pause’ before the legend begins.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Rukmiṇī-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s fruit is rooted in its sacred origin and narrative; understanding the māhātmya deepens faith and the benefit of pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Rukmiṇī Tīrtha, whose greatness and origin are being requested.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it introduces an inquiry into the tīrtha’s origin and its bestowal of beauty and good fortune.