Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

तत्तीर्थस्य प्रभावोऽयं श्रूयतामवनीपते । यथाऽनन्तो हि नागानां देवानां च जनार्दनः

Transliteration

tattīrthasya prabhāvo'yaṃ śrūyatāmavanīpate | yathā'nanto hi nāgānāṃ devānāṃ ca janārdanaḥ

Translation

Écoute, ô seigneur de la terre, la grandeur de ce tīrtha : de même qu’Ananta est le premier parmi les nāga, et Janārdana le suprême parmi les dieux.

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तत्’ इति समासपूर्वपद (genitival relation to तीर्थस्य) (Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• तीर्थस्य: of the tīrtha
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• प्रभावः: power; efficacy
• प्रभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Imperative, 3rd person, Singular; ‘let it be heard’)

• अवनीपते: O lord of the earth (king)
• अवनीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/manner indeclinable)

• अनन्तः: Ananta (Śeṣa)
• अनन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• नागानाम्: of the serpents
• नागानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

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

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator of the Revā Khaṇḍa (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha / Kālāghanāśana

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (avani-pati / māhīpati)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching scene: Skanda/narrator addressing a king; behind them a symbolic tableau—Ananta (Śeṣa) with many hoods and Janārdana radiant—hovering above the Narmadā tīrtha, indicating ‘foremostness’.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha (Cakratīrtha)
• Ananta (Śeṣa)
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching elevates a sacred place by comparing its excellence to cosmic exemplars—Ananta and Viṣṇu—inviting faith in tīrtha-power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same ‘that tīrtha’ in context—Cakratīrtha on the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is to listen (śravaṇa) to the tīrtha-māhātmya as a devotional act.