Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

तत्तीर्थं धार्मिकं लोके ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वरैः । निर्मितं परया भक्त्या लोकानां हितकाम्यया

Transliteration

tattīrthaṃ dhārmikaṃ loke brahmaviṣṇumaheśvaraiḥ | nirmitaṃ parayā bhaktyā lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā

Translation

ആ തീർത്ഥം ലോകത്തിൽ ധർമ്മപീഠമായി പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്; ബ്രഹ്മാ, വിഷ്ണു, മഹേശ്വരൻ എന്നിവർ പരമഭക്തിയോടെ, ലോകഹിതം ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു, അതിനെ നിർമ്മിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• तीर्थम्: holy ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म/विषय (object of passive)

• धार्मिकम्: righteous/sacred
• धार्मिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• ब्रह्म-विष्णु-महेश्वरैः: by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara
• ब्रह्म-विष्णु-महेश्वरैः: Karana/Agent (Instrument/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्-विष्णु-महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + महेश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (agent in passive)

• निर्मितम्: was made/constructed
• निर्मितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्मित (कृदन्त; √मा (धातु) + नि + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

• परया: with supreme
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (of bhakti)

• भक्त्या: devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• लोकानाम्: of people/of the worlds
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• हित-काम्यया: with the desire for (their) welfare
• हित-काम्यया: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित-काम्य (प्रातिपदिक; हित + काम्य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; हेतु/करणार्थ (for the sake of welfare)

Speaker

Dharma (personified)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Two crows (dānavas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tri-deity consecration: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara jointly ‘fashion’ or establish Śukla Tīrtha on the bright Narmadā bank, with sages and pilgrims witnessing.

Characters & Entities

• Śukla Tīrtha
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is rooted in divine intention and bhakti—its purpose is loka-hita, the upliftment and purification of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla Tīrtha (on the Narmadā), described as dhārmika and divinely established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is commanded; the verse legitimizes pilgrimage by presenting the tīrtha as divinely founded for public spiritual benefit.