Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तीर्थानामुत्तमं तीर्थं क्षेत्राणां क्षेत्रमुत्तमम् । तत्रैव नैमिषारण्ये सौनकाद्यास्तपोधनाः । दीर्घसत्रं प्रकुर्वंतः सत्रिणः कर्मचेतसः

Transliteration

tīrthānāmuttamaṃ tīrthaṃ kṣetrāṇāṃ kṣetramuttamam | tatraiva naimiṣāraṇye saunakādyāstapodhanāḥ | dīrghasatraṃ prakurvaṃtaḥ satriṇaḥ karmacetasaḥ

Translation

ナイミシャーラニヤという、諸ティールタの中で最勝にして諸聖域の中で最も優れた地において、シャウナカら苦行に富む聖仙たちは、儀礼の務めに心を定め、長大なる祭祀の会座を執り行っていた。

Word by Word

• tīrthānām: of pilgrimage places
• tīrthānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• uttamam: best
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• tīrtham: pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• kṣetrāṇām: of sacred fields/regions
• kṣetrāṇām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• kṣetram: sacred region
• kṣetram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• uttamam: best
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• naimiṣāraṇye: in Naimiṣāraṇya
• naimiṣāraṇye: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naimiṣa + āraṇya (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नैमिषे आरण्यम्)

• saunaka-ādyāḥ: Saunaka and others
• saunaka-ādyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saunaka + ādi (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सौनकः आदिः येषाम्)

• tapo-dhanāḥ: those whose wealth is austerity (great ascetics)
• tapo-dhanāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas + dhana (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (तपः धनं येषाम्)

• dīrghasatram: a long sacrificial session
• dīrghasatram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīrgha + satra (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• prakurvantaḥ: performing
• prakurvantaḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √kṛ (कृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद-भावः

• satriṇaḥ: participants in a satra
• satriṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• karmacetasaḥ: having minds fixed on ritual duties
• karmacetasaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karma + cetas (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (कर्मणि चेतः येषाम् = whose minds are intent on ritual action)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Purāṇic recital frame at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Characters & Entities

• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Śaunaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places and sustained sacrifice create a sacred setting where dharma is preserved through listening and recitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣāraṇya is explicitly praised as supreme among tīrthas and kṣetras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dīrgha-satra (long sacrificial session) being performed by sages devoted to karma (ritual duty).