Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

चातुर्युगमिदं तीर्थं सर्वतीर्थेष्वनुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन् रुद्रस्यानुचरो भवेत्

Transliteration

cāturyugamidaṃ tīrthaṃ sarvatīrtheṣvanuttamam | tatra snātvā naro rājan rudrasyānucaro bhavet

Translation

ตีรถะแห่งนี้เป็น ‘ของสี่ยุค’ และยอดยิ่งเหนือบรรดาตีรถะทั้งปวง โอพระราชา ผู้ใดอาบน้ำชำระที่นั่น ย่อมเป็นบริวารของพระรุทระ

Word by Word

• चातुर्युगम्: lasting four yugas
• चातुर्युगम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चातुर्युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘इदं तीर्थम्’ इति विशेषणम्; समासः—चतुर् + युग (द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: four-yuga-long)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इति विशेषणम् (demonstrative)

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: among all tīrthas
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; समासः—सर्व + तीर्थ (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इति विशेषणम्

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

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having bathed’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रुद्रस्य: of Rudra
• रुद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अनुचरः: a follower/attendant
• अनुचरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continued)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṣāḍhītīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (king/prince addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A proclamation of Aṣāḍhītīrtha’s supremacy: pilgrims bathing at the river steps, a radiant Śiva shrine nearby; the bather is envisioned as becoming Rudra’s attendant—subtle depiction of gaṇas welcoming the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Aṣāḍhītīrtha
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual bathing at a Śiva-tīrtha is portrayed as transformative, granting proximity and service to Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aṣāḍhītīrtha (by continuity), declared unsurpassed among tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna—bathing at the tīrtha.