Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

तेषु तीर्थेषु सर्वेषु धर्महेतुः सरस्वती । रुद्रावतार मार्गेऽस्मिन्प्रवरं प्रथमं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

teṣu tīrtheṣu sarveṣu dharmahetuḥ sarasvatī | rudrāvatāra mārge'sminpravaraṃ prathamaṃ smṛtam

Translation

ໃນບັນດາຕີຣະຖະທັງໝົດນັ້ນ ສະຣັສວະຕີເປັນເຫດແຫ່ງທັມມະ. ໃນເສັ້ນທາງແຫ່ງອະວະຕານຂອງຣຸດຣະນີ້ ນາງຖືກຈື່ຈຳວ່າເປັນຜູ້ປະເສີດສຸດ ແລະ ເປັນອົງທຳອິດ.

Word by Word

• teṣu: in those
• teṣu: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन (plural)

• tīrtheṣu: in the sacred fords (tirthas)
• tīrtheṣu: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• sarveṣu: in all
• sarveṣu: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• dharma-hetuḥ: cause of dharma
• dharma-hetuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: धर्मस्य हेतुः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• sarasvatī: Sarasvatī
• sarasvatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पूर्वपदस्य (dharma-hetuḥ) विशेष्य-सम्बन्धे समानााधिकरणम्

• rudra-avatāra: of Rudra’s incarnation
• rudra-avatāra: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + avatāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: रुद्रस्य अवतारः); पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (सम्बन्ध)

• mārge: on the path
• mārge: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• pravaram: most excellent
• pravaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pravara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद-विशेषणम्

• prathamam: first
• prathamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद-विशेषणम्

• smṛtam: is said/remembered
• smṛtam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः ("is said/remembered")

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī (Suprabhā) as prathama tīrtha on Rudrāvatāra-mārga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-path is envisioned where Rudra’s manifestations are honored; at its head stands Sarasvatī, serene and foremost, as the cause of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Rudra
• Rudrāvatāra-mārga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained through tīrtha-sevā; Sarasvatī is praised as a foundational power that nurtures righteous living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī-tīrtha as the foremost tīrtha within the network of sacred places along the Rudrāvatāra-mārga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription is stated; the verse establishes Sarasvatī’s primacy for pilgrimage and worship.