Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

यदेकं परमं तीर्थं सर्वतीर्थफलप्रदम् । श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्सर्वं दयां कृत्वा वदाशु मे

Transliteration

yadekaṃ paramaṃ tīrthaṃ sarvatīrthaphalapradam | śrotumicchāmi tatsarvaṃ dayāṃ kṛtvā vadāśu me

Translation

ขอสถานที่จาริกอันสูงสุดเพียงหนึ่งเดียว ซึ่งประทานผลแห่งทีรถะทั้งปวง—ข้าพเจ้าปรารถนาจะฟังให้ครบถ้วน โปรดเมตตาและกล่าวแก่ข้าพเจ้าโดยเร็ว

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (relative)

• एकम्: one/single
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place/sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object of ‘श्रोतुम्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सर्वतीर्थफलप्रदम्: granting the fruits of all tīrthas
• सर्वतीर्थफलप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-तीर्थ-फल-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + तीर्थ + फल + प्रद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (श्रवणे)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थे

• इच्छामि: I wish/desire
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (इच्छायाम्)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘सर्वम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘श्रोतुम्’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• दयाम्: compassion
• दयाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृत्वा’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• कृत्वा: having shown/done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (करणे)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• वद: tell/speak
• वद: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (वदने)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), शीघ्रार्थक

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र सम्प्रदान (to me)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Parama-tīrtha (unnamed here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, eager and reverent, requests the full account of the one supreme tīrtha that grants the fruit of all tīrthas, imploring the brāhmaṇa to speak swiftly out of compassion.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sincere seeker asks for the highest, most comprehensive path of merit—one that integrates and fulfills the aims of many pilgrimages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse introduces the concept of a ‘parama tīrtha’ but does not name it yet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; it is a request to hear (śrotum) the full teaching about the supreme tīrtha.