Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि सरितः सागरास्तथा । विंशति तानि सर्वाणि देवखाते दिनद्वयम्

Transliteration

pṛthivyāṃ yāni tīrthāni saritaḥ sāgarāstathā | viṃśati tāni sarvāṇi devakhāte dinadvayam

Translation

ഭൂമിയിലെ എല്ലാ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളും—നദികളും സമുദ്രങ്ങളും ഉൾപ്പെടെ—അവയെല്ലാം ഇരുപതും, രണ്ടു ദിവസത്തേക്ക് ദേവഖാതത്തിൽ ഒരുമിച്ച് സന്നിഹിതമായിരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पृथिव्याम्: on earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• यानि: which (all)
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• तीर्थानि: sacred places/fords
• तीर्थानि: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• सागराः: oceans
• सागराः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Conjunctive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘likewise/and also’)

• विंशति: twenty
• विंशति: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विंशति (संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय-रूपेण संख्याशब्दः; ‘twenty’ (indeclinable numeral)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तानि इति)

• देवखाते: in Devakhāta
• देवखाते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-खात (प्रातिपदिक; देव + खात)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• दिनद्वयम्: for two days / a period of two days
• दिनद्वयम्: Adhikarana (Time-span/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन-द्वय (प्रातिपदिक; दिन + द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (द्वे दिने यस्य/द्विदिनम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devakhāta

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devakhāta shown as a radiant hub: around the central kunda appear symbolic miniatures of rivers and oceans—Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Sarasvatī, and sea-waves—circling like a mandala; pilgrims bathe while cosmic waters ‘arrive’ for a two-day convergence.

Characters & Entities

• Devakhāta
• Tīrthas
• Rivers
• Oceans

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single sanctified place can concentrate the merit of many pilgrimages, making focused devotion more accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devakhāta, described as hosting the combined power of many tīrthas for a limited sacred period.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies a special two-day window when Devakhāta yields the merit of multiple tīrthas, encouraging pilgrimage and bathing then.