Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

षष्टितीर्थसहस्रेषु षष्टितीर्थशतेषु च । यत्फलं स्नानदानेषु देवखाते ततोऽधिकम्

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭitīrthasahasreṣu ṣaṣṭitīrthaśateṣu ca | yatphalaṃ snānadāneṣu devakhāte tato'dhikam

Translation

Le fruit obtenu par les bains et les dons en soixante mille, et même en six mille tīrthas, Devakhāta l’accorde en une mesure plus grande encore.

Word by Word

• ṣaṣṭitīrthasahasreṣu: in thousands of sixty tīrthas
• ṣaṣṭitīrthasahasreṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṣṭi + tīrtha + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; समासः (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः) ‘षष्टितीर्थाणां सहस्रेषु’

• ṣaṣṭitīrthaśateṣu: in hundreds of sixty tīrthas
• ṣaṣṭitīrthaśateṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṣṭi + tīrtha + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; समासः ‘षष्टितीर्थाणां शतेषु’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• snānadāneṣu: in bathing and charity
• snānadāneṣu: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (bathing and giving)

• devakhāte: in the Devakhāta (sacred tank)
• devakhāte: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + khāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• tataḥ: than that/from that
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Comparison base/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• adhikam: greater
• adhikam: Kriya (Predicate complement/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तुलनाविशेषण (comparative sense)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devakhāta

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic map-like vision: countless tīrthas represented as small icons fading into the distance, while Devakhāta shines centrally as a radiant pool; pilgrims perform snāna and dāna at the luminous center.

Characters & Entities

• Devakhāta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not all holy places are equal in stated phala; the Purāṇa elevates Devakhāta as exceptionally potent for snāna and dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devakhāta is directly exalted as surpassing the merit of vast numbers of other tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage in snāna (bathing) and dāna (charity) at Devakhāta for superior spiritual results.