Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अतस्त्वां परिपृच्छामि धर्मतीर्थाश्रयं कवे । बहूनि सन्ति तीर्थानि बहुशो मे श्रुतानि च

Transliteration

atastvāṃ paripṛcchāmi dharmatīrthāśrayaṃ kave | bahūni santi tīrthāni bahuśo me śrutāni ca

Translation

ଏହେତୁ, ହେ କବି, ଧର୍ମ ଓ ତୀର୍ଥମାନଙ୍କର ଆଶ୍ରୟସ୍ୱରୂପ, ମୁଁ ତୁମକୁ ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ କରୁଛି। ତୀର୍ଥ ଅନେକ ଅଛି, ଏବଂ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ବିଷୟରେ ମୁଁ ବାରମ୍ବାର ବହୁତ ଶୁଣିଛି।

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Logical/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), हेत्वर्थ (therefore)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परिपृच्छामि: I ask/inquire
• परिपृच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• धर्मतीर्थाश्रयम्: (you) who are a refuge connected with dharma and sacred fords
• धर्मतीर्थाश्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + तीर्थ + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (one who is the resort of dharma and tīrthas / resort connected with dharma-tīrtha)

• कवे: O sage/poet
• कवे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• बहूनि: many
• बहूनि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• सन्ति: there are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तीर्थानि: sacred places/fords
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• बहुशः: often/many times
• बहुशः: Desha-Kala (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), पुनरावृत्त्यर्थ (many times/often)

• मे: by me/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्रुतानि: heard
• श्रुतानि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) ‘heard’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Śaunaka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaunaka leaning forward in inquiry, gesturing toward an imagined map of many sacred places; Sūta poised to begin a systematic account; surrounding sages attentive, suggesting the start of a pilgrimage-catalogue narrative.

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• Sūta
• Dharma
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage knowledge should be sought from dharmic authorities; inquiry is itself a dharma when done with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha yet; the verse introduces a broader inquiry into sacred geography that will culminate in Revā’s praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; it establishes the method—paripraśna (earnest questioning) as the gateway to tīrtha-dharma.