Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11
ईश्वर उवाच । तीर्थशब्दो वरारोहे धर्मकृत्येषु वर्तते । धर्मस्थानेषु सर्वेषु तत्त्वं शृणु समाहिता
īśvara uvāca | tīrthaśabdo varārohe dharmakṛtyeṣu vartate | dharmasthāneṣu sarveṣu tattvaṃ śṛṇu samāhitā
Īśvara dit : «Ô toi aux hanches gracieuses, le mot “tīrtha” s’emploie pour les actes du dharma. Dans tous les sièges du dharma, écoute—l’esprit bien recueilli—son principe véritable.»
Īśvara (Śiva)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Varārohe (Devī/Pārvatī implied)
Scene: Īśvara begins a calm instruction to the beloved listener, defining the word ‘tīrtha’ and inviting focused listening to its principle.
FAQs
A tīrtha is not merely geography; it is fundamentally tied to dharma—right action and sanctified contexts where dharma is practiced.
This is a doctrinal preface rather than a site-specific praise; it frames tīrtha in relation to dharma-sthānas in general.
The instruction is śravaṇa (attentive listening) to the tattva—the essential teaching—about tīrtha.