Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

क्षमानाथं ततो गच्छेत्तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् । दानवगन्धर्वैरप्सरोभिश्च सेवितम्

Transliteration

kṣamānāthaṃ tato gacchettīrthaṃ trailokyaviśrutam | dānavagandharvairapsarobhiśca sevitam

Translation

അവിടെ നിന്ന് ത്രൈലോക്യപ്രസിദ്ധമായ ക്ഷമാനാഥ തീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം; ദാനവന്മാരും ഗന്ധർവന്മാരും അപ്സരസ്സുകളും പോലും അതിനെ സേവിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• क्षमानाथम्: (the tīrtha called) Kṣamānātha
• क्षमानाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक; क्षमा + नाथ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तीर्थ-नाम (name of a tīrtha)

• ततः: thereafter/from there
• ततः: Apadana (Source/sequence/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); क्रम/अपादानार्थ (from there/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तीर्थम्: to the sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्: renowned in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य-विश्रुत (प्रातिपदिक; त्रैलोक्य + विश्रुत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of 'तीर्थम्'

• दानवगन्धर्वैः: by Dānavas and Gandharvas
• दानवगन्धर्वैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव-गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक; दानव + गन्धर्व)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अप्सरोभिः: by Apsarases
• अप्सरोभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सेवितम्: frequented/served
• सेवितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; 'तीर्थम्' इति पदस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣamānātha-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (Pārtha-addressed narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous ford where celestial musicians hover: Gandharvas with vīṇā, Apsarases with garlands, and even awe-struck Dānavas offering salutations; the pilgrim path curves along the riverbank toward the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Kṣamānātha Tīrtha
• Dānava
• Gandharva
• Apsaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrthas are so spiritually potent that beings of many realms are drawn to them; pilgrims are urged to seek such sanctified places with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṣamānātha Tīrtha, presented as a celebrated pilgrimage ford in the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct injunction to go/visit (gacchet) the tīrtha; specific rites like snāna or dāna are not detailed in this verse.