Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

गङ्गावगाहिता तेन केदारश्च सपुष्करः । गया च नैमिषं तीर्थं कुरुक्षेत्रं सरस्वती

Transliteration

gaṅgāvagāhitā tena kedāraśca sapuṣkaraḥ | gayā ca naimiṣaṃ tīrthaṃ kurukṣetraṃ sarasvatī

Translation

Il se baigna dans la sainte Gaṅgā et visita Kedāra et Puṣkara ; il alla à Gayā, au tīrtha de Naimiṣa, à Kurukṣetra et à la rivière Sarasvatī.

Word by Word

• गङ्गा: Ganga (river)
• गङ्गा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अवगाहिता: was bathed/immersed in
• अवगाहिता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√गाह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘अवगाहिता’ = ‘(सा) अवगाहिता’

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• केदारः: Kedāra (holy place)
• केदारः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• सपुष्करः: (along with) Puṣkara
• सपुष्करः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स- (उपसर्ग/उपपद) + पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘पुष्करः सह’ (with Puṣkara)

• गया: Gayā (holy place)
• गया: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• नैमिषम्: of Naimiṣa
• नैमिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तīर्थम् इति विशेष्यस्य)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्’

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī (river/holy place)
• सरस्वती: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (रूपं प्रथमा-समानम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā; Kedāra; Puṣkara; Gayā; Naimiṣa; Kurukṣetra; Sarasvatī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unknown (likely a ṛṣi/king interlocutor typical of Skanda Purāṇa frames)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great sage on pilgrimage: sequential vignettes—Gaṅgā snāna, snowy Kedāra shrine, lotus-filled Puṣkara lake, Gayā śrāddha by the Phalgu, forested Naimiṣa with ṛṣis, Kurukṣetra plain with banners, and a shimmering Sarasvatī tirtha.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kedāra (Kedarnath)
• Puṣkara
• Gayā
• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Kurukṣetra
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and merit are cultivated through holy bathing and visiting renowned tīrthas that embody different streams of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā, Kedāra, Puṣkara, Gayā, Naimiṣa, Kurukṣetra, and Sarasvatī are explicitly named as sacred destinations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), especially immersion in the Gaṅgā, is implied as a key tīrtha practice.