Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मावर्तं परं तीर्थं सूर्यावर्तमतः परम् । पिप्पलावर्ततीर्थं च पिप्पल्याश्चैव सङ्गमः

Transliteration

brahmāvartaṃ paraṃ tīrthaṃ sūryāvartamataḥ param | pippalāvartatīrthaṃ ca pippalyāścaiva saṅgamaḥ

Translation

‘ബ്രഹ്മാവർത്തം’ എന്ന പരമ തീർത്ഥം ഉണ്ട്; അതിന് ശേഷം ‘സൂര്യാവർത്തം’ എന്ന ശ്രേഷ്ഠ തീർത്ഥം; കൂടാതെ ‘പിപ്പലാവർത്ത’ തീർത്ഥവും പിപ്പലീ നദിയുടെ സംഗമവും ഉണ്ട്।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मावर्तम्: Brahmāvarta
• ब्रह्मावर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नामरूपेण), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः आवर्तः)

• परम्: supreme; excellent
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• सूर्यावर्तम्: Sūryāvarta
• सूर्यावर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य-आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नामरूपेण), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यस्य आवर्तः)

• अतः: thereafter; then
• अतः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थे/अपादानार्थे (thereafter/from this)

• परम्: next; further
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पिप्पलावर्ततीर्थम्: the Pippalāvarta tīrtha
• पिप्पलावर्ततीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्पल-आवर्त-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पिप्पलावर्तस्य तीर्थम्)

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

• पिप्पल्याः: of (the river/stream) Pippalī
• पिप्पल्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्पली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed; also
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• सङ्गमः: confluence
• सङ्गमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmāvarta; Sūryāvarta; Pippalāvarta; Pippalī-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping view of a river making three distinct bends: one marked with a lotus-seat and four-faced emblem (Brahmāvarta), one with a radiant sun disc (Sūryāvarta), one shaded by a grand pippala tree (Pippalāvarta). Nearby, a smaller stream (Pippalī) joins the main river at a visible confluence where pilgrims bathe.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmāvarta
• Sūryāvarta
• Pippalāvarta
• Pippalī (river)
• Saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography itself becomes dharma: remembering and visiting tīrthas and confluences is praised as a direct means to accrue puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmāvarta, Sūryāvarta, Pippalāvarta, and the confluence (saṅgama) of the river Pippalī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse functions as a tīrtha-listing within the māhātmya context.