Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

चत्वार्यत्र प्रकृष्टानि मुख्यतीर्थानि पार्थिव । येषु स्नाने कृते राजञ्छ्राद्धे च तदनंतरम् । सर्वेषामेव तीर्थानां स्नानजं लभ्यते फलम्

Transliteration

catvāryatra prakṛṣṭāni mukhyatīrthāni pārthiva | yeṣu snāne kṛte rājañchrāddhe ca tadanaṃtaram | sarveṣāmeva tīrthānāṃ snānajaṃ labhyate phalam

Translation

ഹേ പാർത്ഥിവാ! ഇവിടെ നാലു അത്യുത്തമമായ മുഖ്യ തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ട്. ഹേ രാജൻ, അവയിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ഉടൻതന്നെ ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്താൽ, എല്ലാ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലുമുള്ള സ്നാനഫലം ലഭിക്കും.

Word by Word

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• प्रकृष्टानि: excellent
• प्रकृष्टानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying चत्वारि/तीर्थानि)

• मुख्यतीर्थानि: principal sacred fords
• मुख्यतीर्थानि: Apposition (to चत्वारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख्य + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (मुख्यानि तीर्थानि)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• येषु: in which (places)
• येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• स्नाने: in bathing
• स्नाने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• कृते: when (it is) done
• कृते: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Circumstantial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• श्राद्धे: in śrāddha (rite)
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्: then
• तत्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial ‘then/thereafter’)

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb of time)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थानाम्)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तीर्थानाम्: of (all) sacred places
• तीर्थानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• स्नानजम्: born of bathing (bathing-derived)
• स्नानजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (स्नानात् जातम्)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (deduced from immediate context; dialogue with the King begins explicitly at 50)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Catur-mukhya-tīrtha (four principal tīrthas) of the described kṣetra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājendra/pārthiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king is shown being instructed about four principal bathing spots; pilgrims bathe, then immediately perform śrāddha on the bank with darbha, piṇḍa, and water offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Rājā (King)
• Tīrtha
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly timed ritual action—bathing followed by śrāddha—concentrates tīrtha-merit and purifies one’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A set of four ‘principal tīrthas’ located in the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting (named in subsequent verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bath) in the tīrtha(s), followed immediately by śrāddha (ancestral rite).