Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्तु तीर्थमिदं पुण्यमित्येवं शूलिनो वचः । जाह्नवी पशुरूपेण तत्र स्नानार्थमागता

Transliteration

tattu tīrthamidaṃ puṇyamityevaṃ śūlino vacaḥ | jāhnavī paśurūpeṇa tatra snānārthamāgatā

Translation

“ഈ തീർത്ഥം പുണ്യമാണ്”—എന്ന് ശൂലധാരി (ശിവൻ) അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു. തുടർന്ന് ജാഹ്നവി (ഗംഗ) മൃഗരൂപം ധരിച്ചു അവിടെ സ്നാനാർത്ഥം വന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (thing)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विरोधसूचक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• तीर्थम्: holy ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

• इति: thus/‘…’
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• शूलिनः: of Śūlin (Śiva, the trident-bearer)
• शूलिनः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• जाह्नवी: Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पशुरूपेण: in the form of an animal
• पशुरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पशोः रूपम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place: there)

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्नानस्य अर्थः = स्नानाय)

• आगता: came/arrived
• आगता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalhoḍī Tīrtha (implied; named explicitly next verse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed in the surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, trident in hand, proclaims the tīrtha’s holiness; Gaṅgā appears in an animal form approaching the water’s edge to bathe, with attendants and a luminous tīrtha landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śūlin)
• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• Kalhoḍī Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is anchored in divine affirmation and sacred myth; Śiva’s word and Gaṅgā’s presence establish exceptional purifying power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kalhoḍī Tīrtha, validated by Śiva’s declaration and associated with Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) is explicitly referenced as the purpose of Gaṅgā’s arrival, implying bathing as the key tīrtha practice.