Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । पितृतीर्थं यथा पुण्यं सर्वकामिकमुत्तमम् । इदं तीर्थं तथा पुण्यं स्नानदानादितर्पणैः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | pitṛtīrthaṃ yathā puṇyaṃ sarvakāmikamuttamam | idaṃ tīrthaṃ tathā puṇyaṃ snānadānāditarpaṇaiḥ

Translation

ईश्वर उवाच— यथा पितृतीर्थं परमपुण्यं सर्वकामप्रदं च, तथा इदं तीर्थमपि स्नान-दान-तर्पणादिभिः पुण्यं भवति।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• पितृतीर्थम्: the Pitṛ-tīrtha (ancestral ford)
• पितृतीर्थम्: Upameya/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Modifier (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative particle: 'as/just as')

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Vidheyaviseshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वकामिकम्: fulfilling all desires
• सर्वकामिकम्: Vidheyaviseshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कामिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Vidheyaviseshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Vishaya/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place, ford
• तीर्थम्: Upameya/Topic (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Modifier (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतावाचक (adverb: 'likewise/also')

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Vidheyaviseshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्नानदानादितर्पणैः: by bathing, giving, and other offerings (incl. tarpaṇa)
• स्नानदानादितर्पणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (as praised here)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uttānapāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara proclaims the tīrtha’s greatness, comparing it to Pitṛ-tīrtha; symbolic imagery of bathing devotees, offerings of water to ancestors, and charity distribution on the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Pitṛtīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is realized through prescribed acts—snāna, dāna, and tarpaṇa—bringing broad spiritual and worldly fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā Khaṇḍa “this tīrtha” is praised by comparison to Pitṛtīrtha; the exact local name is not specified in the provided snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (bathing), dāna (charity), and tarpaṇa (libations/offerings) at the tīrtha for merit and fulfillment.