Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 147

Devanagari script

न चान्यत्तीर्थलक्षं तु वर्जयित्वा तु गोमतीम् । गंगा सरस्वती चैव नर्मदा नैव पुष्करम्

Transliteration

na cānyattīrthalakṣaṃ tu varjayitvā tu gomatīm | gaṃgā sarasvatī caiva narmadā naiva puṣkaram

Translation

ଗୋମତୀକୁ ଛାଡ଼ି ଅନ୍ୟ ଲକ୍ଷ ଲକ୍ଷ ତୀର୍ଥମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ନୁହେଁ—ଗଙ୍ଗା, ସରସ୍ୱତୀ, ନର୍ମଦା, ପୁଷ୍କର ମଧ୍ୟ—ଏହି ପ୍ରୟୋଜନରେ ତାହାର ସମାନ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थलक्षम् इति)

• तीर्थलक्षम्: a multitude of pilgrimage places
• तीर्थलक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थाणां लक्षम् = multitude/collection of tīrthas)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• वर्जयित्वा: having excluded; excepting
• वर्जयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having avoided/excepting’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• गोमतीम्: Gomatī (river)
• गोमतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक; नदी/तीर्थ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• पुष्करम्: Puṣkara
• पुष्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (context: excluded object)

Speaker

Pretāḥ (departed spirits)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pretas enumerate mighty rivers as if counting them off, while the Gomatī at Dvārakā glows brighter than all, suggesting a concentrated grace at the riverbank near Kṛṣṇa’s shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī
• Gaṅgā
• Sarasvatī
• Narmadā
• Puṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas sometimes single out a particular tīrtha as uniquely potent for a specific spiritual ailment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomatī tīrtha (associated with Dvārakā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A directive by implication: approach Gomatī for the targeted fruit (preta-nāśana).