Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

गयाशिरे च यत्पुण्यं प्रयागे मकरकण्टके । प्रयागे सोमतीर्थे च तत्पुण्यं माण्डवेश्वरे

Transliteration

gayāśire ca yatpuṇyaṃ prayāge makarakaṇṭake | prayāge somatīrthe ca tatpuṇyaṃ māṇḍaveśvare

Translation

Le mérite que l’on trouve à Gayāśiras, et à Makarakaṇṭaka de Prayāga, et au Soma-tīrtha de Prayāga—ce même mérite s’obtient à Māṇḍaveśvara.

Word by Word

• गयाशिरे: at Gayāśiras
• गयाशिरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गयाशिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (locative of place)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• पुण्यम्: merit, holy fruit
• पुण्यम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Object/that-being-spoken-of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• मकरकण्टके: at Makarakaṇṭaka
• मकरकण्टके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकरकण्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—मकरस्य कण्टकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• सोमतीर्थे: at Somatīrtha
• सोमतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—सोमस्य तीर्थम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देशक (demonstrative)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Object/that-being-spoken-of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• माण्डवेश्वरे: at Māṇḍaveśvara
• माण्डवेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डवेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—माण्डवे ईश्वरः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/स्थाननिर्देश)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṇḍaveśvara / Māṇḍavya-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Shaiva shrine of Māṇḍaveśvara radiating as a ‘confluence of merits’; in the background appear emblematic silhouettes of Gayāśiras and Prayāga’s famed spots, visually indicating equivalence of fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍaveśvara
• Gayāśiras
• Prayāga
• Makarakaṇṭaka
• Soma-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas often teach that the highest pilgrimage-merit can be accessed at a locally revealed Śiva-kṣetra through faith and right practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Māṇḍaveśvara, presented as equivalent in merit to famed tīrthas like Gayā and Prayāga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse gives a phalaśruti-style equivalence of merits to inspire pilgrimage and worship at Māṇḍaveśvara.