Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

इदं तीर्थं महापुण्यं नानाश्चर्यं महीतले । अस्य तीर्थस्य माहात्म्यमुत्पत्तिं शृणु भारत

Transliteration

idaṃ tīrthaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ nānāścaryaṃ mahītale | asya tīrthasya māhātmyamutpattiṃ śṛṇu bhārata

Translation

Ce tīrtha est d’un mérite suprême, une merveille aux multiples prodiges sur la terre. Écoute, ô Bhārata, la grandeur et l’origine de ce gué sacré.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Viśeṣya (Correlative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तीर्थम्: sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karma/Predicate noun (Object or apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महापुण्यम्: greatly meritorious/very holy
• महापुण्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) = महा + पुण्य (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (very holy); विशेषणम् (qualifying 'तीर्थम्')

• नानाश्चर्यम्: full of various wonders
• नानाश्चर्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नानाश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक) = नाना + आश्चर्य (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (various wonders); विशेषणम् (qualifying 'तीर्थम्')

• महीतले: on the earth
• महीतले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीतल (प्रातिपदिक) = मही + तल (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (on the surface of the earth)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तीर्थस्य: of the sacred place
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्पत्तिम्: origin, arising
• उत्पत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लकारः लोट् (Imperative), पुरुषः मध्यम (2nd), वचनम् एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Luṅkeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed) / the frame listener

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-sage invites the listener to hear the origin and greatness of Luṅkeśvara; the landscape shows multiple wonders—midstream shrine, luminous waters, pilgrims, and subtle divine signs.

Characters & Entities

• Luṅkeśvara tīrtha (context)
• Bhārata (addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is understood through both its spiritual ‘greatness’ (māhātmya) and its sacred origin (utpatti).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Luṅkeśvara tīrtha (the immediately introduced site in Adhyāya 67).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it is an invitation to hear the māhātmya and origin account.