Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यमुनाख्यं महातीर्थं गंगातीर्थमनुत्तमम् । गयातीर्थं च मर्त्यानां महापातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

yamunākhyaṃ mahātīrthaṃ gaṃgātīrthamanuttamam | gayātīrthaṃ ca martyānāṃ mahāpātakanāśanam

Translation

യമുന ‘മഹാതീർത്ഥം’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം; ഗംഗാതീർത്ഥം അനുത്തമം; ഗയാതീർത്ഥം മർത്ത്യരുടെ മഹാപാതകങ്ങൾ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നതു.

Word by Word

• यमुनाख्यम्: named ‘Yamunā’
• यमुनाख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यमुना-आख्य (प्रातिपदिक; यमुना + आख्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नाम-निर्देशकः)

• महातीर्थम्: the great sacred ford (tīrtha)
• महातीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; महा + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गंगातीर्थम्: the Gaṅgā-tīrtha
• गंगातीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; गङ्गा + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• गयातीर्थम्: the Gayā-tīrtha
• गयातीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; गया + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• मर्त्यानाम्: of mortals
• मर्त्यानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-पातक-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पातक + नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yamunā-tīrtha; Gaṅgā-tīrtha; Gayā-tīrtha

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ / addressed audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triptych-like vision: Yamunā as a dark-blue river-goddess with lotuses; Gaṅgā radiant, crowned, with makara and celestial aura; Gayā shown as a sacred townscape with priests and śrāddha implements, signifying mahāpātaka-nāśana.

Characters & Entities

• Yamunā
• Gaṅgā
• Gayā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Different tīrthas are praised for distinct spiritual excellences—greatness, unsurpassed sanctity, and the power to erase grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Yamunā, Gaṅgā, and Gayā are explicitly glorified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a direct rite here; it supports the prior instruction to undertake tīrtha-yātrā and snāna.