Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

वाराणसी कुरुक्षेत्रं गंगा रेवा सरस्वती

Transliteration

vārāṇasī kurukṣetraṃ gaṃgā revā sarasvatī

Translation

Vārāṇasī, Kurukṣetra, Sungai Gaṅgā, Sungai Revā (Narmadā), dan Sungai Sarasvatī—

Word by Word

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Karta (Elliptic listing/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक: स्थान-नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karta (Elliptic listing/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: कुरूणां क्षेत्रम् (field/region of the Kurus)

• गंगा: Gaṅgā
• गंगा: Karta (Elliptic listing/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक: नदी-नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रेवा: Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवा: Karta (Elliptic listing/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक: नदी-नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Elliptic listing/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक: नदी-नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Saṃvarta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī; Kurukṣetra; Gaṅgā; Revā; Sarasvatī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional panorama: five sacred icons—Kāśī’s ghats and Viśveśvara aura, Kurukṣetra’s dharma-field, Gaṅgā as goddess, Revā/Narmadā as river goddess, and Sarasvatī as luminous, subtle river—arranged like a sacred garland of places.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Kurukṣetra
• Gaṅgā
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas map dharma onto geography by naming renowned tīrthas and rivers as embodiments of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A set of premier tīrthas is invoked (Kāśī, Kurukṣetra, Gaṅgā, Revā, Sarasvatī) as part of a larger tīrtha enumeration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a catalog-style invocation of sacred sites.