Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

शैवान्येतानि तीर्थानि वैष्णवानि च सत्तमाः । शृणुध्वं प्रोच्यमानानि ब्राह्मशाक्तानि च क्रमात्

Transliteration

śaivānyetāni tīrthāni vaiṣṇavāni ca sattamāḥ | śṛṇudhvaṃ procyamānāni brāhmaśāktāni ca kramāt

Translation

Wahai yang terbaik antara orang berbakti, inilah tīrtha Śaiva dan juga tīrtha Vaiṣṇava. Kini dengarlah menurut tertib, ketika tīrtha Brāhma (Brahmā) dan Śākta (Dewi) sedang dihuraikan.

Word by Word

• शैवानि: Śaiva (pertaining to Śiva)
• शैवानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तीर्थानि: tīrthas
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• वैष्णवानि: Vaiṣṇava (pertaining to Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

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

• सत्तमाः: O best ones
• सत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (8th/1st), बहुवचन; उत्तम-विशेषणरूपेण ‘श्रेष्ठाः’

• शृणुध्वम्: listen (you all)
• शृणुध्वम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• प्रोच्यमानानि: being described/being spoken
• प्रोच्यमानानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्मणि शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; ‘उच्यमानानि’

• ब्राह्मशाक्तानि: Brāhma and Śākta (types)
• ब्राह्मशाक्तानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म-शाक्त (प्रातिपदिक; ब्राह्म + शाक्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (ब्राह्माणि च शाक्तानि च)

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

• क्रमात्: in order/ क्रमशः
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; तसिल्-अर्थे अव्यय (adverbial ablative: ‘in order/ क्रमशः’)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate narrative context of Revā Khaṇḍa; explicit speaker appears at 231.32)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha categories (Śaiva/Vaiṣṇava/Brāhma/Śākta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sattamāḥ / dvijas (virtuous brahmin audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred map divided into four devotional streams—Śaiva, Vaiṣṇava, Brāhma, Śākta—while the sage instructs listeners to hear the ordered description.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Śakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is multi-devotional: the Revā/Narmadā tīrthas honor Śiva, Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and Śakti, encouraging inclusive pilgrimage rooted in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces the ordered listing of Revā/Narmadā tīrthas by deity-association.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the instruction is to listen to the sequential description of the tīrthas.