Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

तत्रापि हिमविंध्याद्रेरंतरं पुण्यदं परम् । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये ह्यंतर्वेदी भुवः पराः

Transliteration

tatrāpi himaviṃdhyādreraṃtaraṃ puṇyadaṃ param | gaṃgāyamunayormadhye hyaṃtarvedī bhuvaḥ parāḥ

Translation

En son sein, l’étendue entre l’Himālaya et les monts Vindhya est souverainement dispensatrice de mérite. Et entre la Gaṅgā et la Yamunā se trouve l’Antarvedī, domaine exalté sur la terre.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adverbial (देश/स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• हिम-विन्ध्य-अद्रेः: of the Himālaya and Vindhya mountains
• हिम-विन्ध्य-अद्रेः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम (प्रातिपदिक) + विन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); द्वन्द्व-समासः (हिम + विन्ध्य) ततः ‘अद्रि’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (हिमविन्ध्ययोः अद्रेः)

• अन्तरम्: the space/region between
• अन्तरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुण्यदम्: bestowing merit
• पुण्यदम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्यद (प्रातिपदिक; पुण्य + द)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यं ददाति इति) विशेषणम् अन्तरम् इति

• परम्: supreme/excellent
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) अन्तरम् इति

• गङ्गा-यमुनयोः: of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā
• गङ्गा-यमुनयोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी/सप्तमी-द्विवचन (Gen./Loc. dual); द्वन्द्व-समासः; ‘-योः’ द्विवचन-समाप्तिः

• मध्ये: in the middle/between
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अन्तर्वेदी: Antarvedī (the inner sacred tract)
• अन्तर्वेदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर् (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + वेदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभाव-समासः (अन्तर् + वेदी)

• भुवः: of the earth/world
• भुवः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुव्/भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुवन/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘भू’ इत्यस्य षष्ठी एकवचन रूपम्

• पराः: supreme/excellent
• पराः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (adjective) (अन्तर्वेदी-प्रदेशाः/भूमयः) इत्यर्थे

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Antarvedī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous riverine landscape: Gaṅgā and Yamunā flowing like twin garlands enclosing Antarvedī; pilgrims bathing, sages teaching, and distant Himalayan and Vindhyan silhouettes framing the sacred middle land.

Characters & Entities

• Himālaya
• Vindhya
• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Antarvedī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain landscapes are portrayed as spiritually charged; dwelling or pilgrimage there is said to naturally increase puṇya and support dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Antarvedī—the sacred region between the Gaṅgā and Yamunā—is highlighted as exceptionally holy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; it provides a location-based mahātmya that implies pilgrimage and sacred bathing in the Gaṅgā-Yamunā region.