Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

भूलोके चांतरिक्षे च दिवि तीर्थानि यानि वै । अतीत्य वर्तते तानि तीर्थान्येतद्द्विजोत्तम

Transliteration

bhūloke cāṃtarikṣe ca divi tīrthāni yāni vai | atītya vartate tāni tīrthānyetaddvijottama

Translation

ଭୂଲୋକ, ଅନ୍ତରିକ୍ଷ ଓ ସ୍ୱର୍ଗରେ ଯେତେ ତୀର୍ଥ ଅଛି, ଏହି ତୀର୍ଥ ସେସବୁକୁ ଅତିକ୍ରମ କରି ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜୋତ୍ତମ।

Word by Word

• भू: earth
• भू: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative sg.)

• भूलोके: in the earthly world
• भूलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन; भुवः लोकः (genitive-tatpuruṣa)

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

• अन्तरिक्षे: in the mid-region/sky
• अन्तरिक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative sg.)

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

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative sg.)

• तीर्थानि: sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karma/Prameya (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (Nom./Acc. pl.)

• यानि: which
• यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (Nom./Acc. pl.)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis particle)

• अतीत्य: having surpassed
• अतीत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति + इ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वर्तते: exists/stands
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन (Accusative pl.)

• तीर्थानि: sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karma/Prameya (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (Nom./Acc. pl.)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Vocative sg.)

Speaker

Varāha (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (as ‘etad tīrtham’)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama (best of brāhmaṇas) addressed directly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic map-like vision: earth, mid-region, and heaven dotted with tīrthas, all bowing or streaming their merit toward Ayodhyā; Ayodhyā shines at center with Sarayū and Viṣṇu’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Ayodhyā (implied)
• Svargadvāra (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text asserts a hierarchy of tīrthas, placing this Ayodhyā locus above even celestial pilgrimage sites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā’s sacred region (contextually Svargadvāra/Ayodhyā tīrthas).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal praise (māhātmya) establishing the site’s superiority.