Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तथा तीर्थत्रयं चान्यत्पर्वतत्रितयान्वितम् । महानदीत्रयं चैव सर्वपातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

tathā tīrthatrayaṃ cānyatparvatatritayānvitam | mahānadītrayaṃ caiva sarvapātakanāśanam

Translation

De même, il existe une autre triade de tīrtha, accompagnée d’une triade de montagnes ; et encore une triade de grands fleuves, qui détruisent toute faute.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb/conjunctive: 'thus/also')

• तीर्थत्रयम्: a triad of sacred fords (three tīrthas)
• तीर्थत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'of three')

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

• अन्यत्: another; other
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (pronoun-adjective: 'other')

• पर्वतत्रितयान्वितम्: endowed with three mountains
• पर्वतत्रितयान्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रितय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ/अन्वि 'to be connected')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) 'अन्वित'; तत्पुरुष-समास (pārvatatritaya-anvita: 'endowed with a triad of mountains')

• महानदीत्रयम्: a triad of great rivers
• महानदीत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानदी (प्रातिपदिक; महा+नदी) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'of three')

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

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (particle of emphasis 'indeed/just')

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: destroying all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (karmadhāraya/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष sense: 'destroyer of all sins')

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred tableau: three shining tīrthas, three mountains rising behind them, and three great rivers flowing in luminous bands, with pilgrims approaching for purification.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Parvata (mountains)
• Mahā-nadī (great rivers)
• Pātaka (sins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain emblematic rivers, mountains, and tīrthas are celebrated as concentrated sources of purification, capable of destroying even major sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse signals a forthcoming list of three tīrthas, three mountains, and three great rivers; names are not given in this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied snāna/association with these tīrthas and rivers for pāpa-nāśa (sin-destruction), though no step-by-step rite is stated here.