Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सर्वतीर्थमयं क्षेत्रं तद्विज्ञाय तपोनिधिः । ततश्च चिन्तयामास स्वचित्ते गाधिनन्दनः

Transliteration

sarvatīrthamayaṃ kṣetraṃ tadvijñāya taponidhiḥ | tataśca cintayāmāsa svacitte gādhinandanaḥ

Translation

ആ പ്രദേശം സർവതീർത്ഥമയമാണെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞ്, തപോനിധിയായ ഗാധിനന്ദനൻ പിന്നെ തന്റെ ചിത്തത്തിൽ ആലോചിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• सर्वतीर्थमयम्: consisting of all tīrthas
• सर्वतीर्थमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वैः तीर्थैः मयम्) 'क्षेत्रम्' इति विशेषण

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'क्षेत्रम्' इत्यस्य पुनरुक्ति/निर्देश

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• तपोनिधिः: the treasure of austerity (ascetic)
• तपोनिधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः निधिः)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (then)

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

• चिन्तयामास: pondered/thought
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect; periphrastic), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वचित्ते: in his own mind
• स्वचित्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (स्वं चित्तम्)

• गाधिनन्दनः: Gādhi's son (Viśvāmitra)
• गाधिनन्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाधि (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गाधेः नन्दनः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkaratraya (within a sarva-tīrtha-maya kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra stands contemplative near a sacred landscape where multiple tīrtha-symbols appear—confluence-like waters, lotus ponds, a small shrine—suggesting ‘all-tīrthas in one’.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra (Gādhi-nandana)
• kṣetra (sacred region)
• tīrthas (all)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A truly sanctified kṣetra can embody the merit of many tīrthas, making it a concentrated field of spiritual power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The unnamed kṣetra under discussion in this chapter (where Puṣkara-traya is situated), described as “sarva-tīrtha-maya.”

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it frames the theological basis for choosing local tīrtha-bathing when distant travel is difficult.