Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

एवं त्रिभिर्हेतुवरैर्ममेवार्घः प्रदीयताम् । गुणैकदेशेऽपि समं मम तीर्थं न वै परम्

Transliteration

evaṃ tribhirhetuvarairmamevārghaḥ pradīyatām | guṇaikadeśe'pi samaṃ mama tīrthaṃ na vai param

Translation

അതിനാൽ ഈ മൂന്ന് ഉത്തമ കാരണങ്ങളാൽ അർഘ്യം എനിക്കേ അർപ്പിക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ. എന്റെ തീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ ഗുണങ്ങളിൽ ഒരു അംശത്തിലും മറ്റൊരു തീർത്ഥം എനിക്കു തുല്യമല്ല—ശ്രേഷ്ഠമെന്നത് പിന്നെ എവിടെ?

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner)

• त्रिभिः: by three
• त्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Instrumental, Plural; विशेषणम् (हेतुवरैः)

• हेतु-वरैः: by excellent reasons
• हेतु-वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (वराः हेतवः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• मम: of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (only/indeed)

• अर्घः: honour/valuation (argha)
• अर्घः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रदीयताम्: let (it) be given
• प्रदीयताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be given’

• गुण-एक-देशे: in even a single part of merit
• गुण-एक-देशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (एकदेशः गुणानाम्/गुणस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/also)

• समम्: equal(ly)
• समम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (equally)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed/emphasis)

• परम्: higher/superior
• परम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; विधेय-विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

Speaker

Tīrtharāja (Mahīsāgara-saṅgama personified)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A personified ‘King of Tīrthas’ speaks before an assembly, insisting that arghya be offered to him alone, while other tīrthas listen in tense silence.

Characters & Entities

• Mahīsāgara-saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha-mahātmya teaches graded sanctity: certain sites are upheld as uniquely efficacious and thus deserve foremost honor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahīsāgara-saṅgama, asserted to be unequaled even by a portion of its virtues.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering argha specifically to this tīrtha is prescribed as the proper act of reverence.