Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

कुरुक्षेत्रं सरस्वत्यां प्रभासे कुरुजांगले । पृथूदके गयाशीर्षे नैमिषे पुष्करत्रये

Transliteration

kurukṣetraṃ sarasvatyāṃ prabhāse kurujāṃgale | pṛthūdake gayāśīrṣe naimiṣe puṣkaratraye

Translation

त्यांनी कुरुक्षेत्र, सरस्वती-प्रदेश, प्रभास व कुरुजांगल; तसेच पृथूदक, गयाशीर्ष, नैमिष आणि त्रिविध पुष्कर या तीर्थांचे दर्शन घेतले.

Word by Word

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Goal/place-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गन्तव्य-रूपेण कर्म (place as object of going, understood)

• सरस्वत्याम्: at/on the Sarasvatī (river/region)
• सरस्वत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक; नदी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (location)

• प्रभासे: at Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ/स्थान)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• कुरुजाङ्गले: in Kuru-Jāṅgala
• कुरुजाङ्गले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-जाङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक; देशनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (Kuru-region called Jāṅgala)

• पृथूदके: at Pṛthūdaka
• पृथूदके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथु-उदक (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ/स्थान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण; कर्मधारयः—“पृथु उदकं यस्मिन्”/“पृथूदकम्” (place of abundant water)

• गयाशीर्षे: at Gayāśīrṣa
• गयाशीर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया-शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—“गयायाः शीर्षम्”

• नैमिषे: at Naimiṣa
• नैमिषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• पुष्करत्रये: at the three Puṣkaras
• पुष्करत्रये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर-त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण; द्विगु-समासः—“त्रयः पुष्कराः” (the three Puṣkaras)

Speaker

Sūta (implied continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurukṣetra; Sarasvatī tīrthas; Prabhāsa; Kurujāṅgala; Pṛthūdaka; Gayāśīrṣa; Naimiṣa; Puṣkara-traya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like montage: the sage and pilgrim appear repeatedly across vignettes—battlefield-plain of Kurukṣetra, dried/hidden Sarasvatī ghats, sea-shore Prabhāsa, forested Naimiṣa, lotus lakes of Puṣkara, and Gayā’s sacred hill.

Characters & Entities

• Kurukṣetra
• Sarasvatī
• Prabhāsa
• Kurujāṅgala
• Pṛthūdaka
• Gayāśīrṣa
• Naimiṣa
• Puṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic vision treats Bhārata as a sacred map: moving through tīrthas is a dhārmic discipline that gathers puṇya and purifies karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Multiple tīrthas are praised by enumeration—especially Kurukṣetra, Prabhāsa, Naimiṣa, and Puṣkara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse; it functions as an itinerary of sanctified places traditionally associated with snāna, dāna, and worship.