Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । पितृतीर्थं यथा पुण्यं सर्वकामिकमुत्तमम् । इदं तीर्थं तथा पुण्यं स्नानदानादितर्पणैः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | pitṛtīrthaṃ yathā puṇyaṃ sarvakāmikamuttamam | idaṃ tīrthaṃ tathā puṇyaṃ snānadānāditarpaṇaiḥ

Translation

Le Seigneur dit : De même que le Pitṛ-tīrtha est d’un mérite suprême et accorde tous les buts désirés, de même ce tīrtha est méritoire, par le bain sacré, le don et les offrandes de tarpaṇa.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• पितृतीर्थम्: the Pitṛ-tīrtha (ancestral ford)
• पितृतीर्थम्: Upameya/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Modifier (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative particle: 'as/just as')

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Vidheyaviseshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वकामिकम्: fulfilling all desires
• सर्वकामिकम्: Vidheyaviseshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कामिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Vidheyaviseshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Vishaya/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place, ford
• तीर्थम्: Upameya/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Modifier (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतावाचक (adverb: 'likewise/also')

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Vidheyaviseshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्नानदानादितर्पणैः: by bathing, giving, and other offerings (incl. tarpaṇa)
• स्नानदानादितर्पणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (as praised here)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uttānapāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara proclaims the tīrtha’s greatness, comparing it to Pitṛ-tīrtha; symbolic imagery of bathing devotees, offerings of water to ancestors, and charity distribution on the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Pitṛtīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is realized through prescribed acts—snāna, dāna, and tarpaṇa—bringing broad spiritual and worldly fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā Khaṇḍa “this tīrtha” is praised by comparison to Pitṛtīrtha; the exact local name is not specified in the provided snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (bathing), dāna (charity), and tarpaṇa (libations/offerings) at the tīrtha for merit and fulfillment.