Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2
चातुर्युगमिदं तीर्थं सर्वतीर्थेष्वनुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन् रुद्रस्यानुचरो भवेत्
cāturyugamidaṃ tīrthaṃ sarvatīrtheṣvanuttamam | tatra snātvā naro rājan rudrasyānucaro bhavet
ഈ തീർത്ഥം ‘ചതുര്യുഗ’ തീർത്ഥമെന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം; എല്ലാ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലും അനുത്തമം. ഹേ രാജാവേ, അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ രുദ്രന്റെ അനുചരനാകും।
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continued)
Tirtha: Aṣāḍhītīrtha
Type: ghat
Listener: Rājan (king/prince addressed)
Scene: A proclamation of Aṣāḍhītīrtha’s supremacy: pilgrims bathing at the river steps, a radiant Śiva shrine nearby; the bather is envisioned as becoming Rudra’s attendant—subtle depiction of gaṇas welcoming the devotee.
FAQs
Ritual bathing at a Śiva-tīrtha is portrayed as transformative, granting proximity and service to Rudra.
Aṣāḍhītīrtha (by continuity), declared unsurpassed among tīrthas.
Snāna—bathing at the tīrtha.