Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

यावद्भूमितले शक्रस्तिष्ठत्येवं द्विजोत्तमाः । तीर्थे तीर्थानि सर्वाणि तावत्तिष्ठन्ति तत्र वै

Transliteration

yāvadbhūmitale śakrastiṣṭhatyevaṃ dvijottamāḥ | tīrthe tīrthāni sarvāṇi tāvattiṣṭhanti tatra vai

Translation

ಹೇ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ದ್ವಿಜರೇ, ಶಕ್ರನು ಭೂತಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವವರೆಗೆ, ಅಷ್ಟರವರೆಗೆ ಆ ಒಂದೇ ತೀರ್ಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ತೀರ್ಥಗಳು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿರುತ್ತವೆ.

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्धशब्द)
• Form: सम्बन्धाव्यय (correlative: ‘as long as’)

• भूमितले: on the earth’s surface
• भूमितले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमितल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी); एकवचन

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); एकवचन

• तिष्ठति: stands, remains
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘thus’)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative-sense address); तत्पुरुष (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः)

• तीर्थे: in the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी); एकवचन

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

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा); बहुवचन; (विशेषणम्—तीर्थानि)

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/संबन्धशब्द)
• Form: सम्बन्धाव्यय (correlative: ‘so long/that long’)

• तिष्ठन्ति: remain
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: ‘there’)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śakreśvara-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijoत्तamāḥ (best of twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single waterbody shimmering with symbolic emblems of many tīrthas—miniature rivers, liṅgas, mountains—appearing as reflections while Indra stands nearby; pilgrims witness the convergence.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Bālamaṇḍana (implied tīrtha)
• All Tīrthas (concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single sanctified location can become a convergence-point of all sacred places when divine presence and sacred time align.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bālamaṇḍana tīrtha, described as temporarily embodying ‘all tīrthas’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: undertake pilgrimage and rites during the period of Indra’s presence (as defined by the Āśvina dates in context).