Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अशोकेश्वरतीर्थं च मतङ्गेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तथा मृगवनं पुण्यं तत्र तीर्थं मनोरथम्

Transliteration

aśokeśvaratīrthaṃ ca mataṅgeśvaramuttamam | tathā mṛgavanaṃ puṇyaṃ tatra tīrthaṃ manoratham

Translation

अशोकेश्वरतीर्थं च, मतङ्गेश्वरमुत्तमं च; तथा पुण्यं मृगवनं, तत्र च मनोरथाख्यं तीर्थम्।

Word by Word

• अशोक-ईश्वर-तीर्थम्: the Ashokeśvara sacred ford
• अशोक-ईश्वर-तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोक (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अशोकेश्वरस्य तीर्थम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मतङ्ग-ईश्वरम्: Matangeśvara (Lord Matanga)
• मतङ्ग-ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मतङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मतङ्गेश्वरम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of मतङ्गेश्वरम्)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थे (also/likewise)

• मृग-वनम्: the deer-forest
• मृग-वनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मृगाणां वनम्)

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of मृगवनम्/तीर्थम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• मनोरथम्: (named) Manoratha
• मनोरथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; proper name/epithet of tīrtha

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Āvantya/Revā narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśokeśvara-tīrtha; Manoratha-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two Śiva-liṅgas in separate shrines—Aśokeśvara amid aśoka blossoms, Mataṅgeśvara near a ṛṣi-āśrama; a deer-forest with gentle mṛga; pilgrims at Manoratha-tīrtha offering water and flowers, hands in prayer with a sankalpa gesture.

Characters & Entities

• Aśokeśvara-tīrtha
• Mataṅgeśvara
• Mṛgavana
• Manoratha-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are portrayed as living presences—Śiva-sites and sanctified forests grant puṇya and help fulfil rightful aspirations when approached with devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aśokeśvara-tīrtha, Mataṅgeśvara, Mṛgavana, and Manoratha-tīrtha are explicitly celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse functions as a tīrtha-listing within the māhātmya.