Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अग्नितीर्थं स्मृतं चैकं शुक्लतीर्थमथापरम् । तृतीयं पितृतीर्थं तु पितॄणामतिवल्लभम्

Transliteration

agnitīrthaṃ smṛtaṃ caikaṃ śuklatīrthamathāparam | tṛtīyaṃ pitṛtīrthaṃ tu pitṝṇāmativallabham

Translation

അഗ്നിതീർത്ഥം ഒന്നായി സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു, മറ്റൊന്ന് ശുക്ലതീർത്ഥം; മൂന്നാമത് പിതൃതീർത്ഥം, പിതൃകൾക്ക് അത്യന്തം പ്രിയം.

Word by Word

• अग्नितीर्थम्: Agni-tīrtha (fire sacred ford)
• अग्नितीर्थम्: Karma/Predicate-noun (Contextual naming)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• स्मृतम्: is called/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘is called/remembered’

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

• एकम्: one/first
• एकम्: Visheshana (Adjective of ‘अग्नितीर्थम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Śukla-tīrtha (white/pure sacred ford)
• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Karma/Predicate-noun (Contextual naming)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अथ: then/next
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमसूचक-अव्यय (sequencing particle: then/now)

• अपरम्: another/second
• अपरम्: Visheshana (Adjective of ‘शुक्लतीर्थम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘other/another’

• तृतीयम्: the third
• तृतीयम्: Visheshana (Adjective of ‘पितृतीर्थम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• पितृतीर्थम्: Pitṛ-tīrtha (ancestors’ sacred ford)
• पितृतीर्थम्: Karma/Predicate-noun (Contextual naming)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विशेषार्थ/विरोधार्थ

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• अतिवल्लभम्: very dear/beloved
• अतिवल्लभम्: Visheshana (Adjective of ‘पितृतीर्थम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘अति’ उपसर्गवत्/अव्ययीभावेन तीव्रता (very)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnitīrtha–Śuklatīrtha–Pitṛtīrtha triad

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three tīrtha waters personified: Agni-tinted glow over a ghat, Śukla-tīrtha bright and milky-clear, Pitṛ-tīrtha with offerings of sesame and water for ancestors.

Characters & Entities

• Agnitīrtha
• Śuklatīrtha
• Pitṛtīrtha
• Pitṛs (Ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain tīrthas are specially aligned with cosmic forces (Agni) and ancestral welfare (pitṛs), making them ideal for purification and pitṛ-related dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agnitīrtha, Śuklatīrtha, and Pitṛtīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse itself lists tīrthas; it implicitly supports snāna and especially pitṛ-oriented observances (e.g., tarpaṇa/śrāddha) at Pitṛtīrtha.