Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पृथिव्यामुत्तमं तीर्थं निर्मितं नारदेन तु । तत्र तीर्थे नृपश्रेष्ठ यो गच्छेद्विजितेन्द्रियः

Transliteration

pṛthivyāmuttamaṃ tīrthaṃ nirmitaṃ nāradena tu | tatra tīrthe nṛpaśreṣṭha yo gacchedvijitendriyaḥ

Translation

ପୃଥିବୀରେ ଉତ୍ତମ ତୀର୍ଥ ନାରଦ ନିର୍ମାଣ କରିଥିଲେ। ହେ ନୃପଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ଯେ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରିୟଜୟୀ ହୋଇ ସେହି ତୀର୍ଥକୁ ଯାଏ—

Word by Word

• pṛthivyām: on earth
• pṛthivyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th case); एकवचनम्

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case); एकवचनम्; तीर्थम् इति विशेषणम्

• tīrtham: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case); एकवचनम्

• nirmitam: constructed
• nirmitam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√mā (मा धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचनम्; तीर्थम् इति विशेषणम्

• nāradena: by Narada
• nāradena: Karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd case); एकवचनम्

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: indeed/but)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• tīrthe: at the sacred place
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th case); एकवचनम्

• nṛpaśreṣṭha: O best of kings
• nṛpaśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (नृप) + śreṣṭha (श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative); पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समास (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case); एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• vijitendriyaḥ: one who has conquered the senses
• vijitendriyaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vijita (वि-√ji, जि धातु; क्त) + indriya (इन्द्रिय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case); एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहि-समास (विजितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य सः)

Speaker

Narrator (within Revā Khaṇḍa frame; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārada-kṛta uttama-tīrtha (unnamed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed as nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king or devotee approaches a revered riverine tīrtha founded by Nārada; the scene emphasizes restraint—calm posture, minimal possessions, focused gaze toward the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage bears its highest fruit when joined with inner restraint and disciplined senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘uttama tīrtha’ established by Nārada in the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied requirement is self-control (vijitendriyatā) while undertaking the tīrtha-yātrā.