Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

वर्जयित्वा कुरुक्षेत्रं विशालां विरजां गयाम् । स्नानं सुरार्चनं चैव श्राद्धे वै पिण्डपातनम्

Transliteration

varjayitvā kurukṣetraṃ viśālāṃ virajāṃ gayām | snānaṃ surārcanaṃ caiva śrāddhe vai piṇḍapātanam

Translation

കുരുക്ഷേത്രം, വിശാലാ, വിരജാ, ഗയാ എന്നിവ ഒഴികെ മറ്റു സ്ഥലങ്ങളിൽ സ്നാനവും ദേവാരാധനയും ചെയ്യണം; ശ്രാദ്ധകാലത്ത് പിണ്ഡദാനം തീർച്ചയായും വിധിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वर्जयित्वा: having excluded; excepting
• वर्जयित्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• विशालाम्: Viśālā (a sacred place)
• विशालाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (तीर्थ-नाम)

• विरजाम्: Virajā (a sacred place/river)
• विरजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (तीर्थ-नाम)

• गयाम्: Gayā
• गयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (तीर्थ-नाम)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सुरार्चनम्: worship of the gods
• सुरार्चनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + अर्चन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: सुराणाम् अर्चनम्)

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

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (assertive particle)

• पिण्डपातनम्: offering/dropping of rice-balls (piṇḍa)
• पिण्डपातनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड-पातन (प्रातिपदिक; पिण्ड + पातन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: पिण्डस्य पातनम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurukṣetra / Viśālā / Virajā / Gayā (exceptional śrāddha-tīrthas named)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna) implied by immediate context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred tableau: four highlighted tīrthas with emblematic rites—Kurukṣetra with sacred field and saras; Gayā with piṇḍa offerings; Viśālā and Virajā with river/temple markers; pilgrims bathing and performing deva-arcana.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Viśālā
• Virajā
• Gayā
• Snāna
• Surārcana
• Śrāddha
• Piṇḍa (Piṇḍadāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is structured by clear ritual duties—bathing, deity worship, and ancestral offerings—while acknowledging special tīrthas with distinct rules.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurukṣetra, Viśālā, Virajā, and Gayā are explicitly named as special/exception tīrthas within broader tīrtha-vidhi discussion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing), surārcana (worship of deities), and during śrāddha, piṇḍapātana/piṇḍadāna (offering piṇḍas).