Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वाराणसी च केदारं प्रयागं रुद्रनन्दनम् । महाकालं सहस्राक्षं शुक्लतीर्थं नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

vārāṇasī ca kedāraṃ prayāgaṃ rudranandanam | mahākālaṃ sahasrākṣaṃ śuklatīrthaṃ nṛpottama

Translation

ഹേ നൃപോത്തമാ! വാരാണസി, കേടാരം, പ്രയാഗം, രുദ്രനന്ദനം, മഹാകാലം, സഹസ്രാക്ഷം, ശുക്ലതീർത്ഥം എന്നിവയും (അതിന്റെ) മഹിമയ്‌ക്ക് തുല്യമല്ല।

Word by Word

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• केदारम्: Kedāra
• केदारम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• प्रयागम्: Prayāga
• प्रयागम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• रुद्रनन्दनम्: Rudranandana (name of a tīrtha)
• रुद्रनन्दनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—रुद्रस्य नन्दनम्

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—महान् कालः

• सहस्राक्षम्: the thousand-eyed (Indra epithet / name)
• सहस्राक्षम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य (one who has a thousand eyes)

• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Śuklatīrtha
• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—शुक्लं तीर्थम्

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—नृपेषु उत्तमः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced); addressing a royal listener within the narrated episode

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpottama (royal listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A garland of iconic sacred sites—Vishwanath spire, Kedāra peak-temple, Prayāga sangam, Mahākāla liṅga—arrayed like jewels, yet a central sunlit Ravitīrtha ghat shines brighter; the king is addressed as nṛpottama.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Kedāra
• Prayāga
• Rudranandana
• Mahākāla (Ujjain)
• Sahasrākṣa
• Śuklatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha-māhātmya often magnifies a local sacred site by comparing it with pan-Indian pilgrimage centers, highlighting the power of dharma rooted in place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The adhyāya’s praised site is Ravitīrtha; this verse lists renowned benchmarks (Kāśī, Kedāra, Prayāga, Mahākāla) for comparison.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription appears in this verse; it serves as enumerative praise within the māhātmya.