Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

त्रैलोक्ये यानि तीर्थानि पुण्यक्षेत्राणि यानि च । सर्वत्र सर्वे ये धर्माः सर्वयज्ञाः सदक्षिणाः

Transliteration

trailokye yāni tīrthāni puṇyakṣetrāṇi yāni ca | sarvatra sarve ye dharmāḥ sarvayajñāḥ sadakṣiṇāḥ

Translation

Quels que soient les tīrthas dans les trois mondes, et quels que soient les champs saints—partout, tous les mérites du dharma et tous les yajñas avec leur juste dakṣiṇā—

Word by Word

• त्रै-लोक्ये: in the three worlds
• त्रै-लोक्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समास (in the three worlds)

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (relative)

• तीर्थानि: holy places, pilgrimages
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पुण्य-क्षेत्राणि: holy/meritorious sacred regions
• पुण्य-क्षेत्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय-समास (meritorious sacred fields)

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (relative)

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

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (relative)

• धर्माः: duties, dharmas
• धर्माः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्व-यज्ञाः: all sacrifices
• सर्व-यज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय-समास (all sacrifices)

• स-दक्षिणाः: with priestly fees (dakṣiṇā)
• स-दक्षिणाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष-समास (with dakṣiṇā/fees)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (implied summative kṣetra) / Gaṅgā tīrtha network

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu (addressed in adjacent verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic ‘map’ of sacred India and the three worlds: many tīrthas and yajña-altars symbolically stream into a central luminous Kāśī/Gaṅgā mandala, indicating convergence of all merits.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Puṇyakṣetra
• Yajña
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage, dharma, and sacrifice reach their fullness in the Gaṅgā’s sanctity—she concentrates the merit of many holy acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā (especially as approached in Kāśī), presented as encompassing the power of all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña with dakṣiṇā is referenced as a standard of complete ritual merit, preparing for the claim that such merits are present in relation to Gaṅgā.