Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अत्र तीर्थवरे पूर्वमैतरेय इति द्विजः । सिद्धिं प्राप्तो महाभागो वासुदेवप्रसादतः

Transliteration

atra tīrthavare pūrvamaitareya iti dvijaḥ | siddhiṃ prāpto mahābhāgo vāsudevaprasādataḥ

Translation

Autrefois, en ce gué sacré d’excellence, un « deux-fois-né » nommé Aitareya—très fortuné—obtint l’accomplissement spirituel par la grâce de Vāsudeva.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• तीर्थवरे: in the excellent sacred place
• तीर्थवरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (तीर्थं च तत् वरं च)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• ऐतरेयः: Aitareya
• ऐतरेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐतरेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• इति: thus/so called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• द्विजः: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सिद्धिम्: attainment/success
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: having obtained
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण/विधेय (predicate participle)

• महाभागः: the greatly fortunate one
• महाभागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् भागः यस्य/महाभागः)

• वासुदेवप्रसादतः: due to Vāsudeva's grace
• वासुदेवप्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव-प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (वासुदेवस्य प्रसादः)

Speaker

Nārada (contextual attribution within the Arjuna–Nārada dialogue in this adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna (context continues in next verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene riverside/ford with a small hermitage; Aitareya, a radiant brahmin ascetic, stands in prayer as a subtle aura signifies ‘siddhi’; a distant divine presence of Vāsudeva is suggested through symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) rather than a full theophany.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Aitareya
• Vāsudeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes transformative when approached with devotion, culminating in siddhi through divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises “this excellent tīrtha” (atra tīrtha-vare), but does not provide the proper name within the snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it introduces a tīrtha-based exemplum of attaining siddhi through devotion.