Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कामिकं तीर्थराजं तु तादृशं न भविष्यति । त्रिरात्रं कुरुते राजन्स गोलक्षफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

kāmikaṃ tīrtharājaṃ tu tādṛśaṃ na bhaviṣyati | trirātraṃ kurute rājansa golakṣaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

ହେ ରାଜନ୍, କାମନା ପୂରଣକାରୀ ଏପରି ‘ତୀର୍ଥରାଜ’ ଅନ୍ୟତ୍ର ନାହିଁ। ସେଠାରେ ଯେ ତ୍ରିରାତ୍ର ବ୍ରତ କରେ, ସେ ଗୋଲକ୍ଷଦାନ ସମ ପୁଣ୍ୟ ପାଏ।

Word by Word

• कामिकम्: desire-fulfilling
• कामिकम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तीर्थराजम्)

• तीर्थराजम्: king of pilgrim-places (best tīrtha)
• तीर्थराजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तीर्थाणां राजा)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; contrast/emphasis)

• तादृशम्: such (like that)
• तादृशम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (referring to such a tīrtha)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• त्रिरात्रम्: a three-night (vow/fast)
• त्रिरात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः रात्रयः)

• कुरुते: does/observes
• कुरुते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• गोलक्षफलम्: the fruit (merit) of a hundred-thousand cows
• गोलक्षफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + लक्ष + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गवां लक्षस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāmika-tīrtha (tīrtha-rāja)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revered riverine tīrtha is hailed as unrivaled; pilgrims observe a three-night vow with lamps, simple food abstention, and prayer, while the king is instructed.

Characters & Entities

• Manmatheśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere vrata at an exalted tīrtha is portrayed as uniquely potent—granting both desired outcomes and vast spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Manmatheśa, praised as a kāmika ‘tīrtha-rāja’ within Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing a trirātra (three-night) vow/fasting discipline in connection with the tīrtha.