Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

लक्षाष्टकं सहस्रे द्वे शुक्लतीर्थे द्विजोत्तमाः । तीर्थानि कथयामास पुरा पार्थाय भार्गवः

Transliteration

lakṣāṣṭakaṃ sahasre dve śuklatīrthe dvijottamāḥ | tīrthāni kathayāmāsa purā pārthāya bhārgavaḥ

Translation

Wahai yang terbaik antara para dvija, di Śukla-tīrtha pada zaman dahulu Bhārgava telah menghuraikan kepada Pārtha tentang tīrtha suci: lapan laksa dan juga dua ribu.

Word by Word

• लक्षाष्टकम्: eight lakhs
• लक्षाष्टकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष + अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्या-शब्द; ‘लक्षाणाम् अष्टकम्’ (= eight lakhs)

• सहस्रे: in (terms of) thousands
• सहस्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (in thousands)

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (qualifying ‘सहस्रे’)

• शुक्लतीर्थे: at Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्लतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे/विषय (addressing ‘best of twice-born’)

• तीर्थानि: tīrthas
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्म

• कथयामास: narrated
• कथयामास: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; √कथ् causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘told/narrated’

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पार्थाय: to Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (dative)

• भार्गवः: Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)
• भार्गवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

Speaker

Narrative voice referencing Bhārgava; within the Revā Māhātmya context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija audience addressed (‘dvijottamāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhārgava (Paraśurāma-like) with matted hair and axe, seated on a riverbank, instructing Pārtha (Arjuna) in royal attire; behind them the luminous ‘Śukla-tīrtha’ ghat with countless small tīrtha markers/shrines fading into the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Śukla-tīrtha
• Bhārgava
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tradition magnifies Revā’s sanctity by vast enumeration, presenting pilgrimage as a path of accumulated merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla-tīrtha is singled out as a locus where innumerable tīrthas are taught and remembered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the emphasis is on the authoritative transmission of tīrtha-mahātmyas.