Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठला श्रेयस्थानं च दंताली वटपत्रका । राज्ञः पुरं कृष्णवाटं देहं लोहं चनस्थनम्

Transliteration

jyeṣṭhalā śreyasthānaṃ ca daṃtālī vaṭapatrakā | rājñaḥ puraṃ kṛṣṇavāṭaṃ dehaṃ lohaṃ canasthanam

Translation

ஜ்யேஷ்டலா, ஶ்ரேயஸ்தானம், தந்தாலீ, வடபத்ரகா; ராஜ்ஞஃபுரம், கிருஷ்ணவாடம், தேகம், லோகம் மற்றும் சனஸ்தனம்—இவை புனிதத் தலங்கள்.

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठला: Jyeṣṭhalā (proper name)
• ज्येष्ठला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्रेयःस्थानम्: place of welfare/excellence
• श्रेयःस्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive-determinative)

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

• दंताली: Dantālī (proper name)
• दंताली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंताली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वटपत्रका: Vaṭapatrakā (banyan-leaf [named place/person])
• वटपत्रका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वट (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (of banyan-leaf)

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पुरम्: city; town
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• कृष्णवाटम्: Kṛṣṇavāṭa (proper name; ‘black enclosure/garden’)
• कृष्णवाटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (black/enclosed garden-place)

• देहम्: body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• लोहम्: iron; metal
• लोहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• चनस्थनम्: Canasthana (proper name; ‘place of cana’)
• चनस्थनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (place of ‘cana’—unclear proper/plant name)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇyaka sub-sites: Jyeṣṭhalā, Śreyasthāna, Dantālī, Vaṭapatrakā, Rājñaḥ-pura, Kṛṣṇavāṭa, Deha, Loha, Canasthana

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-scribe or sage points to a palm-leaf itinerary while a stylized sacred grove (araṇya) contains many small shrines/trees/ponds labeled with the listed names.

Characters & Entities

• Jyeṣṭhalā
• Śreyasthāna
• Dantālī
• Vaṭapatrakā
• Rājñaḥ-pura
• Kṛṣṇavāṭa
• Deha
• Loha
• Canasthana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering the sacred settlements of a tīrtha-region is itself a form of honoring dharma and the land’s sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, detailed through its village network (grāma-cakra) for pilgrims and reciters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the list supports pilgrimage orientation and sacred remembrance (smaraṇa).