Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

यथांतरं द्विजश्रेष्ठ भूपेत्वितरसेवके । दृष्टांतमात्रं कथितं प्रयागेतर तीर्थयोः

Transliteration

yathāṃtaraṃ dvijaśreṣṭha bhūpetvitarasevake | dṛṣṭāṃtamātraṃ kathitaṃ prayāgetara tīrthayoḥ

Translation

Wahai Brahmana terbaik, sama seperti ada perbedaan besar antara seorang raja dan orang yang melayani orang lain, demikian pula perbedaan antara Prayaga dan tirtha lainnya dijelaskan hanya sebagai ilustrasi.

Word by Word

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• अन्तरम्: difference
• अन्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—श्रेष्ठः द्विजः (कर्मधारयः)

• भूपे: in a king
• भूपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• इव: like/as
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• इतरसेवके: in a servant of another
• इतरसेवके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर + सेवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—इतरस्य सेवकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• दृष्टान्तमात्रम्: only an illustration
• दृष्टान्तमात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टान्त + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—दृष्टान्त एव मात्रम् (तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयार्थः)

• कथितम्: has been stated
• कथितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (it has been said)

• प्रयागेतर: other than Prayaga
• प्रयागेतर: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयाग + इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समासाङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः; ‘प्रयागात् इतर’ (other than Prayaga) — अत्र ‘तीर्थयोः’ इति षष्ठी-द्विवचनस्य विशेषणम्

• तीर्थयोः: of (the two) tirthas
• तीर्थयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (Tīrtharāja)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-śreṣṭha (addressed brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: Prayāga personified as a crowned king seated above, while other tīrthas appear as respectful attendants; the confluence glows behind the kingly figure.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are not equal in potency; Prayāga is portrayed as sovereign among tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga, elevated above other pilgrimage sites by a king-versus-servant analogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is doctrinal, establishing relative greatness (māhātmya) rather than prescribing a rite.