Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 193

Devanagari script

नानाविधानि तीर्थानि भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदानि च । गोप्रतारस्य तान्यत्र कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्

Transliteration

nānāvidhāni tīrthāni bhuktimuktipradāni ca | gopratārasya tānyatra kalāṃ nārhaṃti ṣoḍaśīm

Translation

Bien des tīrtha, de maintes sortes, accordent jouissance et délivrance; pourtant ici, ils ne valent pas même un seizième de la grandeur de Gopratāra.

Word by Word

• नानाविधानि: of many kinds
• नानाविधानि: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना-विधान (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + विधान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास — ‘नानाविधानानि’ (of various kinds)

• तीर्थानि: sacred places
• तीर्थानि: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदानि: granting enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदानि: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्ति-मुक्ति-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; भुक्ति + मुक्ति + प्रद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः) — ‘भुक्तिं च मुक्तिं च प्रददाति’

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: and)

• गोप्रतारस्य: of Gopratāra
• गोप्रतारस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-प्रतार (प्रातिपदिक; गो + प्रतार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — ‘गवां प्रतारः’ (name/epithet: Gopratāra)

• तानि: those
• तानि: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अन्वयः ‘तानि (तीर्थानि)’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: अधिकरण (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• कलाम्: a fraction/part
• कलाम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अर्हन्ति: are worthy of/amount to
• अर्हन्ति: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• षोडशीम्: a sixteenth (part)
• षोडशीम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडशिन्/षोडशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘कलाम्’ इति (sixteenth)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style—Brahmā to Nārada)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopratāra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (addressed as ‘O twice-born’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic map-like vision of many famous tīrthas fading into the background while the Gopratāra ghāṭ on Sarayū shines at center, with pilgrims bathing and offering arghya; a subtle divine aura marks its superiority.

Characters & Entities

• Gopratāra Tīrtha
• Tīrtha
• Bhukti
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among many celebrated pilgrimage places, one divinely empowered site may be uniquely supreme due to its sacred association and promised fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopratāra Tīrtha, praised as surpassing other tīrthas in merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is prescribed here; the verse establishes comparative supremacy to inspire pilgrimage and observance at Gopratāra.