Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

वक्ष्यामि च समासेन एकैकं च पृथक्पृथक् । गया नाभ्यां यथा पुण्या चक्रतीर्थं च तत्समम्

Transliteration

vakṣyāmi ca samāsena ekaikaṃ ca pṛthakpṛthak | gayā nābhyāṃ yathā puṇyā cakratīrthaṃ ca tatsamam

Translation

Je l’exposerai brièvement : chacun, séparément et selon l’ordre. De même que Gayā et Nābhi sont d’un mérite suprême, ainsi Cakratīrtha leur est égal en sainteté.

Word by Word

• वक्ष्यामि: I will tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन = Future, 1st person singular

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

• समासेन: briefly/in summary
• समासेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन = Masculine, Instrumental singular; adverbial use

• एक-एकम्: each one (one by one)
• एक-एकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या) + एक (संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular; द्वन्द्व/इतरइतरेतर-भाव: 'one by one' (idiomatic)

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

• पृथक्-पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्-पृथक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति-क्रियाविशेषण) = reduplicated adverb 'separately, individually'

• गया: Gayā
• गया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन = Feminine, Nominative singular

• नाभ्याम्: with/by the two navels (nābhis)
• नाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचन = Feminine, Instrumental dual

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकार) = indeclinable 'as/just as'

• पुण्या: holy/meritorious
• पुण्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन = Feminine, Nominative singular (agreeing with गया)

• चक्र-तीर्थम्: Cakra-tīrtha
• चक्र-तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular; तत्पुरुष ('चक्रस्य तीर्थम्')

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

• तत्-समम्: equal to that
• तत्-समम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular; तत्पुरुष ('तस्य समम्' = equal to that)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style in Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The narrator points to a radiant Cakratīrtha on the riverbank; above it appears a luminous Viṣṇu-cakra emblem. In the background, Gayā’s piṇḍa offerings and a ‘Nābhi’ sacred marker are shown as parallel sanctities, visually balanced to indicate equality.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Nābhi
• Cakratīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are not merely geographic; their sanctity is affirmed by Purāṇic testimony, and approaching them with reverence yields great merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakratīrtha, praised as equal in merit to famed pilgrimage centers like Gayā (and Nābhi).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse introduces a structured description of tīrthas and their merits.