Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

दशाश्वमेधिकं तीर्थं कोटितीर्थं च सत्तमाः । मार्कण्डं ब्रह्मतीर्थं च आदिवाराहमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

daśāśvamedhikaṃ tīrthaṃ koṭitīrthaṃ ca sattamāḥ | mārkaṇḍaṃ brahmatīrthaṃ ca ādivārāhamuttamam

Translation

ഹേ സത്തമന്മാരേ! (അവിടെ) ദശാശ്വമേധിക-തീർത്ഥവും കോടിതീർത്ഥവും ഉണ്ട്; (അവിടെ) മാർകണ്ഡ-തീർത്ഥം, ബ്രഹ്മതീർത്ഥം, കൂടാതെ ഉത്തമ ആദിവരാഹ (സ്ഥലവും) ഉണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• दशाश्वमेधिकम्: connected with ten Aśvamedhas (name/epithet)
• दशाश्वमेधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्वमेधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः/द्विगु-प्रायः (दश-अश्वमेध-सम्बद्धम्)

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कोटितीर्थम्: Koṭi-tīrtha
• कोटितीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कोट्याः/कोटि-सम्बद्धं तीर्थम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• सत्तमाः: O best ones
• सत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बोधन/उक्त-श्रोत्रवर्गः (हे सत्तमाः इति)

• मार्कण्डम्: Mārkaṇḍa (name of a tīrtha)
• मार्कण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (तीर्थनाम)

• ब्रह्मतीर्थम्: Brahma-tīrtha
• ब्रह्मतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः तीर्थम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• आदिवाराहम्: Ādi-vārāha (primeval Boar; name)
• आदिवाराहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (आदिः वाराहः)

• उत्तमम्: excellent; best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (श्रेष्ठम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedhika-tīrtha; Koṭitīrtha; Mārkaṇḍa-tīrtha; Brahmatīrtha; Ādivārāha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand ghāṭa labeled Daśāśvamedhika with symbolic horse-sacrifice motifs (horse banner, yajña-kuṇḍa iconography) but enacted as peaceful bathing; nearby Koṭitīrtha shown as many small kuṇḍas; a rishi (Mārkaṇḍeya) in meditation; Brahmā icon at Brahmatīrtha; and Ādivārāha as a majestic boar-incarnation shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Daśāśvamedhika-tīrtha
• Koṭitīrtha
• Mārkaṇḍa
• Brahmatīrtha
• Ādivārāha (Varāha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are portrayed as concentrating the merit of great sacrifices (like Aśvamedha), making dharma accessible through pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daśāśvamedhika-tīrtha is prominent, along with Koṭitīrtha, Mārkaṇḍa, Brahmatīrtha, and Ādivārāha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct injunction is stated; the reference to Aśvamedha frames the tīrtha’s extraordinary merit, implying pilgrimage and worship as the practical equivalent.