Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 34
भूलोके चांतरिक्षे च दिवि तीर्थानि यानि वै । अतीत्य वर्तते तानि तीर्थान्येतद्द्विजोत्तम
bhūloke cāṃtarikṣe ca divi tīrthāni yāni vai | atītya vartate tāni tīrthānyetaddvijottama
பூலோகம், அந்தரிக்ஷம், சுவர்க்கம் ஆகியவற்றில் உள்ள எல்லாத் தீர்த்தங்களையும் மிஞ்சி, இந்தத் தீர்த்தம் உயர்ந்தது, ஓ த்விஜோத்தமா.
Varāha (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (as ‘etad tīrtham’)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Dvijottama (best of brāhmaṇas) addressed directly
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.
FAQs
The text asserts a hierarchy of tīrthas, placing this Ayodhyā locus above even celestial pilgrimage sites.
Ayodhyā’s sacred region (contextually Svargadvāra/Ayodhyā tīrthas).
None; it is a doctrinal praise (māhātmya) establishing the site’s superiority.