Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

मोक्षदानि न सर्वत्र शुक्लतीर्थमृते नृप । शुक्लतीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं पुराणे यच्छ्रुतं मया

Transliteration

mokṣadāni na sarvatra śuklatīrthamṛte nṛpa | śuklatīrthasya māhātmyaṃ purāṇe yacchrutaṃ mayā

Translation

โอ้พระราชา สถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์ผู้ประทานโมกษะมิได้มีอยู่ทุกแห่ง—เว้นแต่ศุกละทีรถะเท่านั้น; มหาตมยะของศุกละทีรถะนี้เองที่ข้าพเจ้าได้สดับมาในปุราณะ

Word by Word

• मोक्ष-दानि: granting liberation
• मोक्ष-दानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + दानिन्/दानि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मोक्षं ददाति इति)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय; सर्व + त्र)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• शुक्ल-तीर्थम्: Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्ल-तीर्थम्: Apavāda (Exception term/अपवाद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः

• ऋते: except, without
• ऋते: Sambandha (Exclusion/अपवर्जन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऋते (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (preposition-like particle) अर्थः—विना/except

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• शुक्ल-तीर्थस्य: of Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्ल-तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः

• माहात्म्यम्: glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्

• पुराणे: in the Purāṇa
• पुराणे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Relative object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धे (यत् ... तत्)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya asserts the rarity of mokṣa-giving sites, pointing toward the radiant Śukla-tīrtha; a subtle iconography of liberation—open sky, ascending light—frames the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Śuklatīrtha
• Purāṇa
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some tīrthas are uniquely potent for mokṣa, and their authority is grounded in Purāṇic transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha, highlighted as exceptionally connected with liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the verse emphasizes the tīrtha’s mokṣa-giving status and Purāṇic endorsement.