Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

इति ज्ञात्वा महाराज सर्वतीर्थेषु चोत्तमम् । पित्ःन्देवान् समभ्यर्च्य स्नानदानादिपूजनैः

Transliteration

iti jñātvā mahārāja sarvatīrtheṣu cottamam | pitḥndevān samabhyarcya snānadānādipūjanaiḥ

Translation

Sachant ainsi, ô grand roi, qu’il est le plus excellent de tous les tīrthas, on doit y honorer les Pitṛs et les dieux par le bain sacré, les dons de charité et d’autres offrandes pieuses.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative/iti)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having known)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—महान् राजा (कर्मधारय)

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: among all sacred fords
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समासः—सर्वाणि तीर्थानि (कर्मधारय)

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

• उत्तमम्: the best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + अर्च् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having duly worshipped)

• स्नानदानादिपूजनैः: by worship-offerings such as bathing and giving gifts
• स्नानदानादिपूजनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + दान + आदि + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करणवाचक; समासः—स्नानं दानं आदिः येषां तैः पूजनैः (समाहार/तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced; addressing a king within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṇḍaveśvara / Māṇḍavya-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king and pilgrims at a riverbank/kuṇḍa near Māṇḍaveśvara: some bathing, some offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands, others giving dāna; the shrine visible with lamps and bilva offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Devas
• Tīrtha (Devakhāta/Māṇḍaveśvara context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-benefit is completed by dhārmic action—honoring gods and ancestors through purity, charity, and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediately discussed supreme tīrtha in the passage—Devakhāta/Māṇḍaveśvara region in Reva Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing), dāna (charity), and pūjā/arcana directed to Pitṛs and Devas.